caramel1mochi
Beatrice
Heya! I love Valorant, writing, and especially writing about Valorant men. Maybe a bit too much. ✨ Taking requests! ✨
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Someone stop me from crying
WHY is Clove's VA's name the EXACT name I picked out for Clove themselves????
I swear I'm either cursed or blessed this has gone too far
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One Hazy Winter [Iso x F! Reader] [5]
[ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 ]
Genre: Angst, fluff
TW: Heavy depression
Words: 4k
Synopsis: One winter before his disappearance, you told your boyfriend Yu about a question you’ve had for so long; one even he could hardly respond to.
It took many more hopeless winters for you to finally have your answer.
Note: Please don't copy or steal my work and pass it off as your own! If you'd like to use one of my headcanons or something, I'd love it if you tagged or asked.
SIDENOTE did anyone see how Clove speaks? Who would've thought vehemently studying Irish slang 8 months ago would come back to help me like this??? Writing them is gonna be such a breeze fr hint wink wink nudge nudge nudge
。+❤ฺ·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ· +❤·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ·
Winter, present day
You wanted to call yourself stupid for not catching on.
How wasn’t it obvious?
There was a gun in his bedroom and a medallion with a symbol that you've never seen before, even after relentlessly googling around.
Purple eyes, mysterious disappearances, owning a house with undisclosed memories that he was just willing to abandon for your apartment, and… other than his grandma? Yeah, no family.
You sighed and pushed open the wooden doors to the café, allowing the bell above to announce your arrival on this boring and slow Monday.
Yesterday was spent entirely at Yu’s house. Not only to tend to the trees you planted a winter ago, but to also keep searching for that gun. And, alas, there was nothing.
Maybe he took it before he disappeared.
Maybe he…
Ugh.
You stepped behind the counter and pocketed your headphones.
Only now did you hear Ying’s muffled voice way behind you inside her room, drowned out by the music.
You were sure that she was speaking to someone on the phone, considering your co-worker called out at the last minute. Who, however, would remain a mystery.
Not that you cared.
Then, the door swung open, and you heard the clicks of her shoes as she walked down the corridor, phone in hand.
“I made sure to check it before I left.” She explained. “Around March, last I heard. That’s the only day– Y/N!”
Ying’s previously quiet voice shot up a few decibels upon noticing you.
But before you even realised it, your mind had prepared itself for the sudden incoming hug it really didn’t want.
“Oh my God, I was so worried!”
Her arms found their place tightly wrapped around you, completely ignoring the seemingly important call, as she had tossed her phone on the counter behind her in favour of this embrace.
You placed one hand on her back in a weak attempt to reciprocate it. However, all you could notice was how cold her silky black ponytail was as it fell on her back.
“I missed one day, Ying.”
“I thought something happened to you!” She pulled away, her hands still on your shoulders. “You should’ve told me– where were you?”
“At Yu’s.”
Her posture immediately relaxed with that answer, and a wide grin painted her features.
“Ah, is that so? And how are the lemons? I trust they’re in excellent condition.”
You would’ve groaned at how she referred to a bunch of seeds underground as if they were babies being taken care of. But after that tangent, maybe that comparison was… Well, apt wasn’t the word, but, you know.
Something like that.
“Still acclimating. They require less maintenance in the winter, but…”
Your words were lodged in your throat, and you were rendered unable to tell her exactly what you were thinking.
But Ying somehow didn’t notice. Instead, she began taking a few steps back to close the call she’d abandoned, another idea popping up in her mind.
“How large was his backyard again? Why don’t you plant more seeds there? Something that can withstand this weather?”
“When’s the last time you’ve been to his house, Ying?”
She placed one hand on her hip.
“I visited Iso’s house a few times before, Y/N. I even recall mentioning the absurd size of his backyard. Ah, I think I used the word ridiculous, too… That might’ve offended him.”
Ying explained thoughtfully with a finger on her chin. And from her dreamy tone, it was easy for you to infer that she was just about to go off on another tangent should you let her keep talking.
She promptly moved towards the register with this memory in mind. But before she could say anything, you interrupted her.
“Who’s Iso?”
…
“Iso?”
Ying stayed silent for a moment.
Then, she tittered,
“I– I must’ve misspoken; I meant to say Yu.”
You crossed your arms.
“Who’s Iso, Ying?”
“Ah, it– it’s just a character from a book I’m currently reading. It’s not anything important.” Ying fanned herself with her hand as she spoke, presumably from a bout of anxiety. “Anywho, as I was saying– would you like me to come along with you? We’ll find new spots for you to plant in!”
…
You ran your fingers through your hair, leaning on the counter behind you.
Ying only had two Meyer lemons that day, and you managed to scoop out a combined amount of nine seeds. A lot, but compared to a normal lemon that had at least ten–fifteen seeds in one fruit, it was nothing.
And what worried you was the prospect of you failing or only managing to get a few trees out of those.
It couldn’t hurt to have a few… backup fruits, right? If the lemons failed, you’d maybe have… something else. Besides, the cashier from that one shop seemed fond of you when you bought the garden ready passion fruit. You could purchase another orange and strike up a conversation with her.
Besides, you needed to work on mentally desensitising yourself to being in his house.
“I'll take care of it myself, I could use some alone time.”
Even though every second of your life was composed of ‘alone time’ to the point that it was concerning.
But Ying didn’t really want to mention that. Not when your mood seemed to be substantially improving with it.
She flashed you her familiar grin in response.
“Well, if you’d like any help, I’m one–”
“One text away, got it. Weren’t you talking to someone?”
You gestured at the phone she set on the counter a while ago, referencing the call she’d abandoned in favour of this conversation.
And you swore you could see buffering in her eyes before she caught on.
“Oh! Right, thank you, I’d almost forgotten about her.”
She quickly grabbed the phone and waved goodbye before disappearing into her office for the day. And by then, you had already known that customers made their way inside.
You didn’t even need to look back to know. Not when that repetitive jingle gave it away, and the sounds of them snickering and gossiping to each other.
You sighed and ran your fingers through your hair, preparing to serve the group.
❤ฺ·。
You were still thinking about that gun even after it’d been a whole year since you visited his house. However, when you passed by his bedroom, the thoughts took over your mind like a virus.
The urge to peer through his drawers once more grew unbearable, even after you’d done it a few dozen times. And each time, it wouldn’t change; there was simply no gun anymore.
This weapon only raised more questions in your mind. None of them were new, except for one:
Was Yu dead?
Was that the reason for his disappearance?
Maybe the hourglass medallion was related to it. Maybe they were a… an organisation? A group, something like that.
Maybe he’d gotten into a fight with these people, or maybe they sent someone out to kill him. But why?
You thought of at least a hundred possibilities as to how he would’ve died, but none of it made sense because of one thing, how did someone like Yu get involved with people like this?
The only reason you entertained it was because of his eyes, his nonexistent parents, and the bloody house you were in.
There’s no way a barista with the same salary as you would be able to buy all of this.
But you never doubted him; you trusted him. You trusted his decision to keep it all vague.
You trusted that, one day, he would tell you.
Maybe that was a mistake.
Oh, screw it, you thought as you pushed the doors to his backyard open.
Ignoring the familiar cold sensation that wrapped itself around your exposed face and neck was an easy task, especially when you were finally taking in the sight before you.
Six trees. But you already saw that before. What grabbed your attention were the white flowers scattered around the deep green leaves, like fairies that had sprinkled dust during the night.
Once you’d reached it, you meticulously cupped one flower in your gloved hands and observed the shape, but all of it was healthy. All it needed was one more year to finally bear fruit.
The pearly white tint of the flower beautifully stood out against your black gloves; its thin petals curving in a manner so purposeful, you swore it was sculpted by the gods.
They also needed pruning, you mused before going back to grab a tool you left behind.
But you’d get to it after you watered them.
Incidentally, it was February; Winter was finally coming to an end. And this meant that the snow that coated the ground was starting to melt off, patches of dull grass sneaking through any opening they could in an effort to get some air.
This made the shovel you were about to use somewhat redundant when it came to shovelling the snow.
Nevertheless, once you’d picked an empty spot in his spacious backyard, you slid the blade of your shovel under the thin mound of melting snow. Then, once you scooped up most of it, you tossed it aside and cleared the area.
‘Why do you plant things in the winter? Why not summer?’
Yu suddenly questioned from behind as he rested on the staircase after he’d done shovelling all of the snow.
Since he’d volunteered and successfully done most of the gruelling work for you, you had enough space to finally plant the germinated lemon seeds once you were done spacing them out.
And to him, his inquiry made sense.
Winter was the season of death, and even his optimism wouldn’t stop him from admitting that. So why would you pursue a hobby that sprouted life at that time?
You continued shovelling the snow out of the way as you remembered what you told him that dreadful day.
And this time, you didn’t block your brain from pulling these annoying conversations from the depths of your mind – not when you wanted to remember the answer.
‘Planting things in the winter helps them bear fruit faster. Moreover, the seeds I'm planting are winter fruit.’
Despite sitting behind you, you could easily tell that Yu immediately perked up at the foreign term.
‘Winter fruit?’
‘Yes. It's exactly what it sounds like.’
Whenever he learned something new from you, he would just have the cutest look on his face.
If only you could see it now, you mulled. But that privilege was revoked years ago, and you weren’t in the mood to mourn right now.
Not after all of your impressive progress so far.
‘Lemons are a winter fruit?’
You nodded.
‘...What about oranges?’
He noted the abundance of oranges you had at the time, and your silent plans to have them planted, if only it didn’t take years for the blasted trees to bear fruit.
This question, however, made you pause at the time.
‘They... are.’
‘I see. And why oranges specifically?’
Seemingly oblivious to the pause in your answer, Yu continued pressing on, unaware of the consequences of asking such a question.
Once the snow was out of the way and you’d cleared the grass, you moved back towards the doors and grabbed the nearby rake, ready to make space for your orange trees.
‘They were my dad's favourite.’
The answer came solemnly; the shift in topic immediately souring both his and your mood.
And Yu quickly caught on to his mistake since he immediately rushed to apologise,
‘Oh, I'm- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…’
You pushed a plentiful amount of dirt out of the way with only a few repetitive movements. And though they were few, you still felt the sweat form.
The thick jacket you wore started to weigh heavily on you. That, and just about everything else, but were you really going to work in a tank top out here?
‘No, it's okay.’
Yu watched you stand up once you were done, dusting off your hands.
Yet he noted how weak your movements were. How much hesitance was involved in just getting the dirt off of your fingers, or even holding yourself up.
How easily upset you were at the mention of your deceased parents.
At the time.
‘Can we leave? I'll... I'll check on the trees afterwards.’
He immediately stood up and took off his glove to pull you closer to him.
‘Of course. You deserve a break, after all. Where would you like to go?’
‘Do you remember the bridge I told you about? I heard it looks better in the spring; but we should go tomorrow.’
Yu beamed at this, his fingers interlocking with yours, and his thumb had already begun outlining the lines on your palm.
It sounded like an innocent suggestion.
‘Tomorrow? Okay, but you'll have to send me the location in advance.’
You remembered both of you leaving for the bridge that day and what came afterwards.
You remembered the dread that followed you throughout the entire trip. Not to mention the gloom, all because you remembered your father.
And it’s not like any of it was to be missed.
You didn’t miss having your whole day ruined at the mention of one person.
You stood back and stared at the hole you’d dug with the shovel, measuring its width compared to the tree you were about to put in its place.
Perfect, you thought. It was all perfect.
❤ฺ·。
Summer passed by like a breeze, and Ying was beyond delighted at the harvest you brought back and immediately got to work with the others to turn them into delicious treats to sell.
Luckily for you (or her), they sold like hotcakes, and today, once winter finally arrived, the moment you walked through the doors and heard the jingle from above, you already saw the results of your hard work.
Ying stood deep within the dining area in front of the wall that used to be empty for so long; now, however, it carried the large, expensive painting she had yearned for the past few years.
And just like she predicted, it looked absolutely stunning.
The colours perfectly complemented the warm colour palette of the general area, and the ladies and their surroundings bounced off of the previously dull flora she’d decorated the area with. That, and, you know, it was just a pretty painting to look at.
You approached and pocketed your headphones, but Ying needn’t look back to know you were there.
The crunch of the ice under your boots was loud enough. All thanks to the strong snowfall outside.
“Isn’t this amazing? It feels like I renovated the whole area, Y/N!”
She said excitedly as she clasped her hands together, meeting your gaze.
Did you even want to ask how long she spent staring at the painting? Not that it was a bad thing.
“I admit. It does look impressive.”
“And I couldn’t have done it without you! Speaking of which, you look happy today. Did something happen?”
Ying asked with a tilt of her head, and your smile only widened at this despite your futile attempts to keep a straight face.
“The lady at the nursery suggested I sell some of my plants there with her. I’m still considering it.”
She didn’t know who she was, so you didn’t really bother telling Ying the name of this new friend you made.
But her face still beamed at this.
“Why not? You mentioned your apartment being cramped a while ago. Is that still the case?”
“It is.”
Of course she’d remember an off-handed comment from months ago.
Besides, all anyone needed to know something like this was to simply glance at any of your windows, and they’d see the potted trees pressed up against them.
“I’ll still have to wait until the weather clears up.”
“I see. Good call.”
She didn’t need to look out the windows to see the thick fog outside. The way to work was difficult enough for her since she had to avoid the black ice and check the weather for any potential storms.
Nevertheless, despite how subtle it was, Ying immediately picked up on the wistfulness that bled into your previously content tone.
“Is… something wrong?”
Your smile slowly fell as you carefully leaned on the table behind you.
Don’t quote me on this comparison, I hate Chemistry.
But despite solitude being bound to you like protons to a nucleus at this point, and vice versa, you’d been keeping this question to yourself, and it felt like it was driving you mad. For once, you needed to ask someone, and who better than Ying?
And you weren’t in the mood to be subtle or to ease her into it.
Might as well lay it all out.
“Is Yu dead?”
She seemed incredibly caught off guard by the question.
“Dead? That– that’s a… ah, a bold assumption… Why would you ever say that?”
Should you even tell her about the gun and the hourglass medallion?
Even though you were still pissed at Yu for keeping so many things hidden from you, you still felt it disrespectful to air out his laundry behind his back.
Well, if he was alive, that is.
Besides, it’s not like she was innocent either. She had a mysteriously large sum of money herself, despite being a humble café owner.
Speaking of… why didn’t she just buy the painting with that instead of waiting for your harvest?
Maybe you shouldn’t ask everything.
You sighed and ran your fingers through your hair.
“Just a thought.”
“No, don’t say that. You’re doing so well, Y/N; don’t let the pessimism get to you!”
You smiled in amusement at her words.
Was the change in your appearance and attitude that drastic? You could’ve sworn one of the positive things about your genes was the lack of dark circles under your eyes.
Ying, however, only kept going.
“How about we visit his grandmother? I know both of you used to do that a lot. Are those lemons done growing?”
“They are. I should be able to harvest them on Sunday if the weather gets better.”
It’s been a while since you visited her. And honestly, you may or may not have missed her delighted smile and hug whenever she’d see you come in with freshly baked goods for her to enjoy.
Shame this all stopped when Yu disappeared. If you took it this horribly, you couldn’t even imagine what she was going through.
“Sunday? That’s great! Would you like me to come with you? I’ll bring the baskets!”
For once, the offer sounded enticing.
Hauling baskets around in a bus also sounded like a terrible idea. So…
You nodded.
“I don’t mind.”
“Wonderful! So, what do you always bring her? Was it lemon bars, or…”
Ying started spitballing ideas as she walked you to the counter, attempting to come up with a list of lemon desserts for you both to bring.
Sweets and baking weren’t her forte, but it was really fun to watch her ramble on about something she really enjoyed. It wasn’t that hard to tell that she never got to have a casual conversation with someone outside of work, anyway.
And so you let her talk, instead opting to listen to her in silence and only chiming in when she was out of words.
❤ฺ·。
Both of you settled on lemon pie.
It was a nice change compared to the usual pound cakes you’d always bring her. And besides, you needed to bring something special after not visiting her for years, or however long it’s been.
Not like you were one to keep track of time.
Nevertheless, a week had passed since that conversation, and things only continued to improve. Mentally, that is.
You were way too exhausted from tending to what felt like a few hundred trees all day. The work felt like it was never ending.
It’s not like you were able to go outside anyway; the fog never let up since then. Even the buses were starting to reroute, and your path to work was getting more and more hazy.
Thankfully for you, it was Saturday; you’ve been up since the crack of dawn, and you’ve just finished your housework at two in the afternoon.
Pruning, fertilising, watering and fending off fungal infections and diseases. Even though it was winter, an abundance of dormant plants still equaled a considerable amount of work.
Sure, as Ying said, the air was fresher in here, but you needed to sell all of these plants. It was quite literally a forest at this point.
That wasn’t to mention the ones at Yu’s house that you still haven’t tended to, the ones you were going to harvest tomorrow had the weather improved.
Once you set down your shears and gave your fingers the relief of rest after spending the past hour pruning your kiwi tree, it felt like they were just one wrong move away from falling off your body.
And maybe that was the time for you to actually stop working.
You walked back inside to your hotter bedroom and slammed the door to the balcony shut, taking a deep breath of the fresh air to isolate a specific scent. And it didn’t take long for you to spot it – the scent of hot chocolate.
You’d just made it for breakfast and had completely forgotten about it whilst waiting for it to cool off.
Huh. Instead of drinking it in bed, maybe you should try something Ying would probably do.
You ran your stiff fingers through your hair and moved towards the kitchen, grabbed the lukewarm cup and headed for the living room.
Once you sat down on the couch, the remote immediately made its way into your hand and the television was turned on.
Yu’s blankets were still there. You washed and tossed them back there, since there was no reason for you to move them.
Not like you felt ill when you looked at them. They were pretty warm.
Besides, you were more concerned with the television and whether or not it would work after being unused for so long.
And… Yeah. It was kind of boring. Scratch that; it was very boring.
Ying was probably just way too old-fashioned for you.
You surfed through the channels for a few more minutes. And with every channel you passed, you were only further reminded as to why this blasted thing was never used.
You surfed and surfed and surfed, eventually landing on whatever channel it was once you’d gotten bored enough and instead picked up the phone to scroll through social media.
Maybe you really should hit up your landlord and stop funding this useless thing mounted on your wall, you mused.
Your train of thought, however, was immediately derailed once your ringtone blasted in your ears.
Ying had suddenly called you. And despite your annoyance, you accepted it without thought, holding the phone up to your ear.
“Y/N! Good afternoon, how are you?”
“Hi. Do you need something?”
She tittered, and you could feel her anxiously fan herself from the other side of the phone.
“What if I just wanted to check in on my friend?”
“So you… don’t need anything.”
“No, I do. Are you free this March?”
You sighed and instead looked out the window, your eyes locking on the rapid snowfall that only helped further coat the ground in tonnes of snow.
Sidewalks, houses, dead trees, balconies… Well, the uncovered ones, of course. Your balcony was safe.
“Possibly. Why?”
This question was weird to ask, to say the least. Especially to someone who lived their life with no planning and went with the flow.
But you did understand why she’d ask since she planned months and months ahead.
“There’s something I must do, but it’s highly likely that I’d end up needing your assistance with it. Do you recall a few years ago, when you…”
Then, the word ‘storm’ caught your attention, your eyes immediately darted back to the television as your brain tuned out Ying’s words.
Turns out that the channel you’d stopped at was the weather forecast, and the woman was explaining an incoming catastrophic storm headed towards…
Crap.
“I– I have to go; I need to leave.”
“Where? What’s happening?”
Without thought, you stood up and rushed towards the thick jacket you had hung up on the coat rack right next to the door.
“Ying, there’s a blizzard. It’s headed right around the neighbourhood where Yu’s house is!”
You slipped on your boots and grabbed your keys, stuffing whatever remaining essentials there were in your pocket.
“What?! Y/N, wait, don’t tell me you’re–”
“I’m going, Ying!”
“Don’t! Don’t, just wait for me, I–”
You slammed the door shut, haphazardly holding the scarf over your nose, and rushed down the flight of stairs.
Ying failed to convince you not to go before you closed the phone and shifted all of your focus back on your path, and she especially failed to get you to understand what was truly happening through your skull.
To her, you either didn’t notice the magnitude of the situation, or you just outright didn’t care. Rushing into a blizzard just to keep a few trees safe was something no sane person would do, even with how much those trees meant to you.
And despite the thick haze that blocked you from seeing only a few feet in front of you, the people rushing to get home as soon as possible, and the rapid snowfall, none of it mattered.
You clutched the ice-cold pole inside the bus and leaned your head against it, its temperature seeping through your thick black gloves and stinging your skin.
Your eyes locked on the windows as you watched the driver struggle to make his way through the fog, and your heart raced fast enough that it nearly constituted a heart attack.
People around you were scared. The children huddled with their parents like scared birds, and you swore you could hear a few of them reassure their kids that they were going to make it home just fine.
But you tuned it all out in favour of what was important to you.
All you needed to do was get to his house.
Get to his house at the very least, and it’ll all be okay.
Those trees will be okay. You’ll make sure of it.
#valorant#valorant fanfiction#valorant x reader#valorant x f reader#valorant x female reader#iso x reader#iso x f reader#valorant iso#iso#valorant fluff#valorant angst#iso x you#valorant sage#sage#valorant x you#valorant iso x reader#angst#fluff#li zhao yu#wei ling ying#iso x y/n#valorant iso x you#valorant iso x y/n#valorant headcanons#iso headcanons
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My biggest wish in life is to look as pretty as this when I die- oh wait sorry wrong picture
I meant THIS pretty, hehe
#valorant#valorant chamber#valorant clove#chamber#clove#also im devestated#i don't think clove says slay
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What my brain wants me to draw at 3 am vs what ends up on my canvas
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One Hazy Winter [Iso x F! Reader] [4]
[ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 ]
Genre: Angst, fluff
TW: Heavy depression
Words: 5k
Synopsis: One winter before his disappearance, you told your boyfriend Yu about a question you’ve had for so long; one even he could hardly respond to.
It took many more hopeless winters for you to finally have your answer.
Note: Please don't copy or steal my work and pass it off as your own! If you'd like to use one of my headcanons or something, I'd love it if you tagged or asked.
Good day! Sorry for the delay, I totally haven't been eating up the Iso stuff Valorant's posting for the past few weeks like an Iso zombie, or anything.
Also I might start publishing stuff a lot more slowly with everything's coming up, but I'll try my best to keep writing! Have a good read!
。+❤ฺ·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ· +❤·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ·
Winter, present day.
You were tasked with showing up to work extra early today. Not that you had anything important to do, but Ying had an idea, and she always made her grand ideas your or Yu’s problem.
Mostly you, for some reason.
Since she was your boss, you never really minded this. Actually, it was starting to grow on you, especially since she seemed incredibly busy with something else and didn’t have many other ways to release her stress.
It was important to note that this wasn’t all daisies and rainbows, however. This plan, though joyous for her, was pure torture for you.
Your path to work today consisted of you carrying a basket concealed at the top with some cloth as you walked down the pavement. Your mistake of not wearing gloves, combined with the brutally cold weather and the heaviness of said basket, it felt like your fingers were about to snap and fall off any second.
Despite somehow surviving every single winter in your lifetime, you never bothered purchasing gloves since you had this habit of keeping your hands in your pockets.
Fuelled by a certain someone.
Your thoughts were curt once you pushed the door open, your entrance accompanied by a jingle as you moved towards the counter where Ying was.
Though she was writing down a few things on her laptop, she immediately met your gaze with a grin and prioritised greeting you.
The heat inside the café enveloped you, and you immediately welcomed it with open arms whilst you moved.
“Good morning, Y/N! Did you bring the goods?”
Take that out of context.
You pocketed your headphones, then slammed the hefty basket on the counter to relieve yourself of the weight, a loud thud echoing through the empty and barely lit café.
Then, you slipped off the cloth covering, immediately taking out its contents before she’d get a chance to peek.
“One,”
You placed one ripened passion fruit on the table, Ying’s eyes glimmering in excitement as she turned off her laptop and clasped her hands together.
“Two,” you set down another, “three,” then another, “four, five, six,”
You were careful not to set them down too hard. Despite their thick skin, you knew you could accidentally crush them.
And after a whole year of tending to that cursed tree, preventing fungal infections and protecting it from anything that stood between you and a bloody good harvest, smashing the fruits was the last thing you wanted to do.
“Fifteen.”
You set down the final one. And by the time you looked up at Ying, her grin grew so wide it could tear her skin open with just one more fruit set to the counter.
“Wonderful– this is amazing! I can only imagine how many desserts and drinks we can make with this!” She held one fruit and let her thumb scan the wrinkly skin. “And how’re your other trees, if I may ask?”
With a shrug, the basket was tossed aside and you made your way behind the counter, taking out a knife from a nearby drawer.
Your fingers were noticeably less stiff thanks to the heat.
Though it still hurt to bend them, it wasn’t as bad as, you know, probably approaching hypothermia.
“We have to wait until next summer for the harvest, I’m afraid.”
“Ah, is that so? No problem; the profits we’ll make from this should make up for the time lost!”
She noted with the same enthusiasm from the moment you showed her a single fruit.
You didn’t want to waste your time making the pies. Your task was to grow the fruit, not cook them.
At least until she said otherwise. Again, Ying was your boss.
Once you put down the chopping board and knife you previously washed, she handed you the fruit and allowed you to cut into it.
And with just one slice, it parted to reveal a slew of yellow deliciousness glimmering under the light, waiting to be ingested.
Ying aimed for said ‘deliciousness’. You, however, already aimed to keep the seeds for yourself.
She took the sliced fruit and trotted off, letting you take the others and continue cutting into them.
The silence was immediately broken, however, especially once another thing popped up in her mind.
“I don’t want to sound like a creep, but…” she piped up from behind, “I noticed you started listening to music on the way here again.”
You paused.
Right… The headphones.
You mindlessly took them out last week and started using them whilst pruning your tree, the action comparable to pouring yourself a glass of water to go with a meal.
As if there was no emotional attachment to such a thing.
And it felt good, now that she mentioned it. No– it felt triumphant, actually. More pleasing than coming to work with a basketful of fruit with only the bustling of the streets to accompany you.
Not that your taste in music was anything crazy, but, you know.
You promptly went back to slicing through the fruit.
It took a great deal of effort not to let the looming sense of despondency consume you as if it were a blue whale.
“Yeah, I… Gardening is as distracting as I remember it to be.”
“You’re not going to drop it, are you?”
“No, no. Not at all.”
It gave you something to do other than sulk in bed all day.
Ying took the sliced fruit with a smile you barely caught from the corner of your eye, before moving back to the counter behind you.
“I’ve actually purchased a few other things to go along with the pies we’re making. Would you like the seeds?”
You looked back to see her taking out a few other fruits and setting them on the crowded counter, right next to what you discovered was a colander.
The colours of said fruit pleasantly stood out against the variety of beiges and the muted tones of the outside world.
A few oranges sat adjacent to the sliced passion fruit from you, some store-bought passion fruit alongside those ones, and…
“I was told oranges were your specialty a while ago. I’m hoping that’s still the case.”
“...What lemon is that?”
Ying paused to look back at what she’d set down, before perking up and grabbing the exact fruit you were eyeing.
“Ah, you noticed? It’s a Meyer lemon! I had to wait for December and go so far to find them; I still somehow only managed to purchase two before they sold out.” She grinned to herself whilst handing it to you. “I don’t know how you used to get so many all the time.”
You set down the blade, then moved to take the lemon from her, observing its familiar shape and colour.
Soft, round, thin skin, and a deeper tint of yellow juxtaposed to its regular counterpart. Just how you remembered it to be.
“Where’d you find them?”
Ying tittered and took out another lemon, setting it alongside the pile of fruit she’d already placed.
“That’s a secret. Anyhow, I’ll need to fire up the ovens now and call in a few others. I guarantee that…”
She continued speaking, but you tuned her out in favour of taking in the lemon’s characteristics all over again.
It’s been a while since you’ve seen one of those. Heck, it’s been a while since you were even able to stomach thinking about Meyer lemons.
But now, sure, they were doing their cursed job of reminding you of Yu, but what chiefly took over your mind was how you’d be able to plant this on your balcony again. The process, the space, all of that previously buried information was now slowly digging itself out.
Huh.
A cold sensation on your thumb snapped you out of your thoughts, and you looked down to realise that you accidentally dented the skin, deep enough for the juice to spill.
You promptly shook your head and went back to work.
❤ฺ·。
It took a while for you to finally clean out all of the pots and fill them with their respective soils. And it took an even longer while for you to plant your seeds, organising them outside on the balcony, where there was more room.
Your apartment was now slowly growing more and more synonymous with a forest. Plants and bushes everywhere, you swore the air also started to change the more you tended to all of it.
You stood back and proudly dusted off your hands, heaving a tired sigh in the process of catching your breath.
Despite the cold temperature that poked at your skin like an army of wasps, you were still heavily sweating, and it felt like your chest was burning.
How the heck did you do this all the time without anyone’s help? You thought, but again, you were more physically capable of things like this given your… erm, better diet and mental state.
Better than whatever the heck it was now before Ying convinced you to pick up gardening again.
It felt like your muscles had deteriorated after a year of… well, after a year.
Whatever. If there was one thing you were going to do, it’s to return to how you were before Yu left. Maybe even better.
And these plants were the first step to getting there.
You took the pen and sticky notes set on a table near the corner and began writing.
The ice cold temperature of said pen stung your fingers, but it’s not like that stopped you.
‘orange’, and ‘passion fruit’.
But you stopped halfway through writing the word ‘lemon’.
You haven’t planted any lemons. In fact, you ran out of pots, as unbelievable as that sounded.
You wanted to plant the lemons right now. No, you needed to.
If you don’t start now, how long will it take until you finally get fruit? Besides, Ying’s thirst for fresh fruit wouldn’t be quenched any time soon.
But… there was no room.
…
You sighed, and went back inside.
There was one solution in mind. But that solution required a level of bravery you could never hope to achieve.
And now that she mentioned it, you could hardly put on the headphones without thinking of Yu.
You barely managed to plant those two fruits without being reminded of your parents over and over; how were you supposed to even think of approaching Meyer lemons?
It just seemed too ambitious. It seemed like it was too soon, especially when you were still technically grieving Yu’s disappearance.
But the idea was tempting, to plant the lemons in Yu’s backyard. His house was practically abandoned, right? It wasn’t… occupied.
How could you, though? Exploit your boyfriend’s generosity like that?
Not only his generosity, but for sharing something so vulnerable with you, only to be used for your own selfish goals when he wasn’t around to–
Your thoughts were interrupted once the music in your ears paused in favour of the ringtone that began playing.
Someone was calling. And you rushed to your phone on the other side of the balcony, checking the name.
Ying.
Why would she be calling you today? At night?Nevertheless, you answered and pocketed the device.
“Hello?”
“Good evening!”
You immediately flinched at the sound of multiple plates clanking against each other. That wasn’t to mention the people speaking loudly in the background.
Though far away and, quite frankly, muffled, you were too used to the serene ambient playlist you had going.
"Ying, it's ten. Why're you still at work?"
"You should've seen it, Y/N! People went crazy over the pastries, they– they think I put some kind of secret ingredient in there! No, in fact, they actively avoided the store-bought passion fruit; they wanted yours!" She excitedly laughed to herself. "Can you believe it? I never thought using fresh fruit could have such an effect!"
You ran your fingers through your messy hair, unable to hold back the smirk that painted your features.
"No kidding."
"I'll give you a cut of it this month. But we're only a few sales shy of purchasing that painting! What would I do without you, Y/N?"
She let out a content sigh.
You noted the unwavering excitement in her voice. Heck, you even knew that her cheeks were currently twisting to accommodate a wide smile despite being on the other side of the phone. But she kept the volume of her voice low, almost as if she were holding herself back in order to maintain her air of professionalism, or whatever.
But…
“Ying. We need to talk.”
“Wait, just one second.”
Ying muted her microphone before you could tell her about what ran through your mind.
And the doubt grew the more seconds that passed. Should you really tell her what was going on, or should you just deal with it alone?
Your heart jumped out of your chest once you heard an audible thud from behind you, quickly turning to see what the noise was.
But you immediately calmed down the moment you recognised the wrinkly lump that sat on the ground, barely reflecting the light off of its thick purple skin.
It was a passion fruit from the tree.
You… missed one.
Ying then unmuted, snatching your attention with ease.
“I’m sorry, what were we saying?”
"Something about a painting. Look, there’s something important..." you glanced at the other pots as you leaned on the wall behind you, "Ying, there's no more room."
"Huh? For the plants?"
"Yes. My balcony is full, and I ran out of pots."
"I see... And buying a new pot is not an option, is it?"
"No."
You sighed, running your fingers through your hair.
"I– I have a solution in mind, but it's hard to swallow."
Your voice shifted to a hushed whisper towards the end of that sentence, and the despondency hit you like a truck.
Was this even a good idea? Was telling her a good idea?
What if she shuns you for such a thing?
"What is it?"
Silence settled for a moment, before you finally gathered the remnants of courage you had and spoke up.
"I'm..." you started, "I'm thinking of planting the lemons in his house. In his… backyard"
...
"His... house?"
"Yes."
Crap.
The silence must be indicative of shock; she must be disgusted by this selfish idea, just like you were.
This was the exact reaction you were afraid o–
"Ah, that's a great idea! I assume you visited his house before; do you still have the keys?"
"I do. He gave them to me."
"Perfect, then yes, I think you should do it!"
Ying cried out in excitement, all of the professionalism she feigned melting like ice cream on a hot summer day, all because of you. Presumably in public, considering the bustling you still heard from the other side.
So much for maintaining her mellowness…
"Yu told me once about how dead his house felt, no matter what he’d do. This could be the most ideal solution to that!"
"In what way is that the solution?"
You said with a wry laugh as you opened the door and went back inside, but Ying wasn't bothered by your pessimism whatsoever.
"Because gardening is the perfect contrast to death!"
...
"Pardon?"
"When you strip down all of the complicated details, gardening is technically giving life to an inanimate object, Y/N! You take a seed, something no different from a– a rock– a pebble, and nurture it. You turn it into a tree, and it's amazing! It's an extraordinary process!"
You were expecting her to mention the still air, how having plants there would freshen it up, or the fact that his house was generally abandoned and it would be more beneficial to just use it, but this wasn’t what was in your mind.
"...Ying, look, I respect your fascination with philosophy, but this is–"
"Not only that, but a tree is a being that benefits everything around it. It– it replaces the oxygen, it bears fruit, and it returns what it has taken from its environment!"
"Ying."
"Think about it! When you picture a ghost town, what comes to mind? Now imagine that ghost town with a touch of mother nature. Fascinating, right?"
Oh my god.
She seemed far too swept away with this topic, as if these thoughts had been festering in her head for the past few months with no outlet... until you came into the picture.
Wait just a second, was this why she wanted you to go back to gardening? Or maybe you were just overthinking things.
Your words, however, fell on deaf ears as you tried to drag her back down to reality.
"I think you should understand how valuable gardening is, Y/N–"
"Ying!"
"Yes! Yes, I'm sorry, I–" She tittered, clearly embarrassed. "I must've gotten carried away."
���
“It’s fine.”
She already sounded cheesy throughout this entire ordeal, but this was starting to get out of hand.
You sighed, unable to stop yourself from smiling like an idiot as you stared out the window, observing a family of three hopping on a bus.
In fact, it wasn't too far-fetched to assume that Ying had a high opinion of you for your gardening just as Yu did this whole time, and she was indirectly telling you now.
What else could possibly explain this random tangent?
…An idea promptly popped up.
"Look, Ying, I have to go. I need to… do something."
You immediately stood up from the couch and left to take out the sealed bag full of seeds stashed deep within the kitchen’s cupboards.
“Do something?”
"I'll ring you up later. We'll keep talking about this on Monday."
All Ying did was successfully add on to your confusion for the past few minutes, sure, but maybe she also ignited a bit of inspiration in you, given what you were doing.
Then, you turned and grabbed a few keys from your drawers, shoving them in the pockets of the thick coat you were about to wear.
"Oh, I see. I’ll let you do whatever it is you want to do. And if you’d like any help, I’m one text away."
Despite being on the other side of the phone, you could feel a misplaced cheeky grin force itself on her face. One that, as opposed to the merry and artless one from before, would absolutely look weird on someone as mature and mellow as her.
Well, as mellow as she tried to be. She just couldn’t hold back around you, for some reason.
But it still seems like she caught on.
“Break a leg out there."
And with that, you closed the call and pocketed your phone, rushing down the flight of stairs.
Only two more minutes until the specific bus you aimed for would arrive, and you did not want to miss it, that’s for sure.
Ying's little tangent was so incredibly cloying, it nearly gave you a headache by the end of it.
She spoke like a mum who watched way too many soppy movies from the 90's... Well, you might've caught her recommending a few to your co-workers.
But it may have been exactly what you needed to get you on your feet.
You were going to plant those seeds. And in her words, 'bring life back' to that house. You weren’t going to allow the pessimistic side of you convince you otherwise.
Now that you weren't in on call, you were free to take out one earbud and play music once more whilst you ran towards the closed gates.
❤ฺ·。
Winter, two and a half years ago.
Even after a considerable amount of time had passed, Yu’s house remained just as empty as when you first visited it.
‘It’s because I moved most of my stuff to your apartment!’ he explained when you questioned him on it. But if that were the case, why were most of them blankets?
Even the bloody misters he brought along were purchased from the stores situated outside of your complex.
Oh, who were you kidding? It was on par for someone like him to own only heaps of blankets and hoodies.
And even though this was your second time visiting it, the place felt lonelier than before, for some reason.
The rooms felt vast, despite how tiny they really were. Mostly thanks to the echo and the lack of furniture, but that’s by the by.
And that wasn’t to mention the photos strewn around the walls. More specifically, the family photos.
They left an impact on you despite being few and far between.
Across the living room was an arched doorway that led to what would’ve looked like a black hole had it not been for the sunlight.
That’s where you two stopped whilst Yu was fiddling with his keys. And instead of letting yourself in, you allowed the dark patterned wall to lead you to something you probably shouldn’t have found so interesting.
Hung above the fireplace was a picture you could hardly see thanks to the dim colour scheme that blended in with the surrounding darkness.
Nevertheless, you still managed to outline two specks of purple on a toddler’s eyes, surrounded by stunning green foliage and the Russian violet coat of a woman who carried him.
It was… Yu. Being held by, presumably, his mother. Or his grandmother; it was hard to tell.
Who knew he looked like such a cute baby?
Also, how the heck did his round cheeks morph into the slick jawline he has right now?
“Remember how you showed me your balcony a while ago?” Yu’s voice swiftly snatched your attention, “I’d like to show you something in return.”
“What is it?”
He moved down the short hallway and opened a cherry door to his left, his steps muffled by the crimson carpet flooring.
“I left a few keys in my bedroom, can you get them while I go to– uh, while I… do something?”
He looked at you with an innocent smile, awaiting an answer.
Just like the painting, his bright eyes brilliantly shimmered in the darkness. In fact, now that you’ve seen him as a baby, it became harder and harder to resist saying yes.
“I'll be back.”
And with that, you moved to his vacant bedroom.
Though there were bedsheets, the bed still lacked a blanket. Which, to be fair, should be expected at this point.
Once you flicked the light switch, you promptly took off your shoes and stepped on the large patterned rug, nearing the dusty furniture.
Incidentally, the patterns didn’t fit his style, now that you thought about it. In fact, the entire house looked like it was decorated by someone older.
Much, much older. And Yu was way too dorky to fit that criteria. But whatever.
Searching was easy at best, especially since most of the drawers on the vanity table were empty.
Within a few picoseconds of opening and slamming them, you were done, and had already moved on to the closet that harboured a few hoodies at best.
Where the heck was the key?
“Yu, where is it?”
You called out, your voice echoing through the house.
And it took only a few seconds before he shouted his response from what seemed to be… outside?
“On the bedside table, it should be on the right!”
You sighed and moved to the one on the right.
But just as you pulled the drawer back, you heard a large gust of wind billow through the house.
Accompanying that wind was a cold sensation that forced you to shiver as you searched.
“What’re you doing out there, Yu?”
The moment you slammed the drawer shut, he presumably closed the door as well and prevented the air from further entering.
“Nothing! I’ll show you when you’re back.”
‘When you’re back’, huh?
Jeez, you weren’t sure whether he was preparing something cute or trying to stop a disaster from happening.
“Careful. You have no idea how high my expectations are getting.”
He responded with a barely audible chuckle, and your cold heart just about melted.
Since the top was empty, you pulled back the bottom drawer instead. However, just as your eyes settled on the objects inside, your mind went blank.
A medallion glimmered under the weak lights above you. And despite the darkness, you could outline an hourglass symbol etched onto the reflective object.
But that wasn’t what concerned you. What concerned you was the gun that sat right next to it.
Why was there a gun?
“Did you find it?”
You jumped and shut the drawer, turning to see him standing behind you.
“Uh– no, no I haven’t.”
“Really? I know I put it there.”
Within a few steps, Yu already found himself right next to you, and he pulled the first drawer open, grabbing the keys that were concealed by the sharp shadows.
“Here it is. It must’ve been the lights.”
“I… guess it was.”
There was a gun in the bottom drawer.
“Are you okay? You look pale.”
He cupped your cheek in his hand, wiping away a bead of sweat with his thumb.
Just as he did that, however, you quickly broke the embrace and took a step back.
“Yes, I’m fine. I just need some air.”
He was surprised. That much, you could tell.
“Oh… Okay, follow me.”
He promptly led you outside and took a sharp turn to the right, leading you towards a section of the house you haven’t explored yet. But that didn’t concern you.
Instead, you kept your eyes on the ground as you followed him, unable to control the questions that took over you.
Why would there be a gun in his bedroom? Should you bring it up?
And what about that medallion? It was next to the weapon…
Okay, maybe you were overthinking things. It could be some band, or something. Maybe the gun was fake.
Heck, maybe you didn’t see a gun at all. Maybe you were–
“Here, you’ll need this.”
Your thoughts were knocked out of your head once you saw Yu grab something from the nearby wall and hold it up to you.
Turns out it was a robe. He took it from the nearby coat stand.
Long and soft, its pristine beige tufts were highlighted by the sunlight.
It was only once your eyes settled on the wooden double doors did you realise that he planned on taking you outside…
Oh.
“You have a backyard?”
“Mhm.”
He draped the robe over you, allowing the thin yet warm material to enfold and protect you from the oncoming wave of cold.
Then, he opened the door and let in even more sunlight.
You stepped out and observed the area around you.
Closed off by a fence of stone, heaven itself stood before you… if it weren’t drowning in snow.
Thanks to the winter season, what would’ve been a stunning tree was instead a massive dead log that barely held itself, its branches protruding outwards in a sickly manner.
You took a few steps forward as you took in the place, allowing the fresh air to fill your lungs.
“If I were you, I’d only leave this place in the winter.”
“And let your fruit die?”
You stopped, taking a moment to process how that related to the current conversation.
And it only took a few seconds for it to click.
“Is that your way of inviting me to plant here?”
He shrugged innocently.
“You said it. Not me.”
You smiled and allowed him to pull you into a hug, your head pressing up against his chest.
Despite the misapprehension that he was, ahem, ‘subtle’, he was the exact opposite.
“Shouldn’t you build a swimming pool here? For summer…”
“Hmm. That’s an idea.”
He thoughtfully mumbled to himself, before something else caught your attention.
The hoodie that he wore was loose, now that he had taken off his jacket and scarf. It revealed a good portion of his neck.
However, before you could point this out, he pulled away and spoke up once more.
“I don’t like spending too much time here, to be honest. Too many… uh, memories. But maybe…” he weakly smiled, “maybe you’ll find this place more useful than I ever could.”
With his hands in yours, you felt an unfamiliar texture on your palm.
It was only when he pulled away that you realised that he had given you the two keys from the bedroom drawer.
“These are the spare keys. You gave me yours; it’s… only fair I give you mine.”
You stared at him in silence, the ice cold metal settling in the warm palm of your hand.
But instead of feeling some sort of joy, you felt your stomach churn at the thought of the gun.
Even without said gun to cloud your mind, you had no idea how to feel about this.
Should you be happy, sad, or relieved? How did he feel when you gave him your keys?
It was as if you were unappreciative of anything he did, like sadness was the only thing your mind knew how to feel. And that wasn’t what you–
His hand landed on your shoulder, snapping you out of your panicked frenzy.
“Are you okay?”
You sighed.
“Yu, I–”
You were torn between asking him about the gun and admitting how you felt.
Either way, it was a lose-lose dichotomy.
…
You grabbed his hand, fingers interlocked like two puzzle pieces connecting.
“You’re cold.”
“Hm?”
If you were stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea, you might as well dig yourself out, right?
And that’s what you did.
You pocketed the keys, then held his hand in both of yours to check his temperature.
And you were right; he was starting to get cold. Very cold.
“It– it’s not that bad, Y/N. Really. The hoodie is warm enough.”
“Don’t start with that. You’ll get a fever.”
A misplaced grin painted his features.
“Really?”
You grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer.
“Shut up and come here.”
Yu lightly laughed as you wrapped the soft robe around him, bringing him to you to share your warmth.
Of course the thought of you nursing him back to health was tempting to him.
Knowing how cheesy he was, you’d have to be watchful so that he wouldn’t orchestrate something like that.
With his arm around your shoulder, you took out the keys again, sombrely observing their shape.
#valorant#valorant fanfiction#valorant x reader#valorant x f reader#valorant x female reader#iso x reader#iso x f reader#valorant iso#iso#valorant fluff#valorant angst#iso x you#valorant sage#sage#valorant x you#valorant iso x reader#angst#fluff#li zhao yu#wei ling ying#iso x y/n#valorant iso x you#valorant iso x y/n#valorant headcanons#iso headcanons
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hi it's me again..possibly the one who requested the Jollz and joshseki x reader....I'm a lil obsessed with them..😭
Jollz and joshseki x reader who is the top #1 radiant in valorant and is better than TenZ.
Obviously reader being Jollz wife bc I think he definitely would've gotten married if he was in a relationship since he's getting older. What if when with Jollz the reader is pregnant and still the top #1 radiant bc honestly, I think that'd be a skill diff against every radiant getting shit on my a heavily pregnant woman. And Jollz would probably find that super hot so he just flirts with her with dirty jokes (like his insane mom jokes) and she just sits on his lap while he plays(or they have separate gaming rooms and he walks into hers when shes streaming and makes a ton of sexual jokes and he just watches as she struggles to not giggle and blush while shes clutching. I can just imagine her pushing his face away and then laughing, then giving each other a kiss)
Joshseki with a fiance reader who constantly gets hit on as the #1 radiant (their desks are next to each other) and he gets upset and yells at the men(not the women he thinks it's cute when you get giddy when a female compliments/flirts with you. He knows ur loyal) and puffs his cheeks out. You're just listening to this while playing and when the round ends you look over to him and laugh at his face, poking his puffed out cheeks.
I just find that both joshseki and Jollz chat would go wild at this tbh. I love them sm. Honestly tho- sex with Jollz would probably be so good tbh. His high ego makes me so curious as to what he can rlly do w it
I think Josh would be soft and slow during sex tbh
Heya, nice to see you again!
Sorry for the delay but I wasn't sure how to go on about this, so I'll just say it.
I appreciate you sending requests and everything, but this is starting to get way too uncomfortable for me to even read, let alone write about. My introduction also specifically states the requests be SFW.
I'm willing to write this for you if you take out the sexual stuff, though.
Otherwise, maybe you can take it up with someone else?
I'm sure there's no shortage of people who are more comfortable with this than I am, haha
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wtf did riot draw iso like that to reference u?
NO STOP DON'T SAY THAT
I'm so gonna start believing it and shed tears when it turns out to be otherwise OMG
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Do you write for anyone from Naruto?..:) JUST A QUESTION. I MAY REQUEST A LOT IF ITS A YES..
and if asked
Would you write for Saiki K....🙏🏻❤️ 🥺
Heya!
I actually only write for Valorant since it's all I watch. I should probably add that to my navigation thing, haha
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He's doing it!!
HE'S DOING THE THING WHERE HE COVERS HIS FACE WITH HIS COLLAR
I'M CRYING I never thought this would be canon actually I don't know if it is this is just an expression sheet BUT IMAGINE??
Also source is again expression sheet from Iso's page on Valorant wiki
I highly recommend you check it out it's like the cutest thing omg
#valorant#valorant iso#how just HOW#didn't i see this sooner#thank you lord#and valorant#for blessing me with this#iso
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One Hazy Winter [Iso x F! Reader] [3]
[ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 ]
Genre: Angst, fluff
TW: Heavy depression
Words: 6k
Synopsis: One winter before his disappearance, you told your boyfriend Yu about a question you’ve had for so long; one even he could hardly respond to.
It took many more hopeless winters for you to finally have your answer.
Note: Please don't copy or steal my work and pass it off as your own! If you'd like to use one of my headcanons or something, I'd love it if you tagged or asked.
Also I know I'm late BUT DID YOU GUYS SEE THE VOICE MESSAGE FROM OMEN?? Omen's VA decided to casually display pure wrath without even warning us first oh my god
。+❤ฺ·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ· +❤·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ·
Winter, present day.
You spent the past thirty minutes standing and harshly scrutinising the plant.
Now, though it had grown into a tree with vines after two months, you noticed something today that made your heart drop.
The leaves were starting to curl in an unnatural manner; their edges were dry, they were brown, and there were small holes just barely forming on them.
The stalk was beginning to look weak. And though you’d watered it only a day ago, the soil looked drab and grey, as if you had neglected it all this time.
It took two months of work only for this to happen.
This sight was… very upsetting to you. But you weren’t exactly sure what to expect.
You clenched your fist and heaved a sigh, turning your gaze to the vinyl flooring beneath you.
You’d just gotten back into gardening after so long; why would you expect things to work out on the first try? It took you your entire childhood before you could effortlessly walk back from your balcony with an impressive harvest like you were cutting loaves of bread.
Then a soft voice came up from behind.
‘Is it dead?’
Yu asked.
There was a peculiar echo in his words, and you recognised that sound.
He wasn’t in the living room; he was on the balcony, where you used to keep your bigger trees before they all died.
“I… I think so.”
Despite knowing that he was only an illusion conjured up by your mind for comfort, you still responded. And those were the only words you could muster.
But they didn’t match what you said when he actually asked you that question.
‘I assumed it was. The leaves, they… tipped me off.’
He said it with an awkward smile, slipping his hands into the deep pockets of his hoodie.
Yu needn’t explain himself.
There was no shame in not knowing everything about the world. But for some reason, he felt like he had to with you.
…
“Stop talking to me.”
You balled your fists.
Yu was a memory. A distant one. Like everyone else.
His responses didn’t match the current situation; they only matched what you said in the past.
Back then, though that day was horrible, it felt like there was a glimmer of hope with him around.
Light at the end of the tunnel. Something to keep you going.
But that was before.
You rubbed your forehead and closed your eyes, allowing– heck, even welcoming the sensation of grief so it could envelop you once more.
Like the heavy rain of a thunderstorm, it weighed on you, and you were moments away from giving in and laying in your bed for the next few hours.
You weren’t sure why the plant was dead. You watered it, gave it fertiliser, and gave it enough sun, but you just couldn’t figure out why.
All of your knowledge of gardening has escaped you.
The one simple hobby that was on par with sleep, given how easy it was… Now, all of it was way over your head.
Maybe you shouldn’t have taken Ying’s advice.
Maybe you should’ve just accepted that the hobby was a dwindling memory, and you should look into something else or just… I don’t know, give up?
That sounded like the easiest option.
Then, your phone buzzed in your pocket. The distinct ringtone let you know that it wasn’t just anyone. It was your boss, Ying.
It took you a few seconds to pull it out and read the text.
‘Good evening!’
She sent an emoji to accompany her chummy text.
‘How are you?’
You stared at your phone for a few seconds, not minding the painfully bright light it exuded. So bright, it stood out against your dreary and dim environment.
But the thought of adjusting the brightness felt like too much right now.
Though you were online, you didn’t type anything in response. And the very silence tipped her off enough to switch the topic.
‘How’s the plant? Is everything going okay?’
Of course. You should’ve expected this.
You weren’t sure why she kept asking about it every other morning when you came to work.
Ironically enough, though you didn’t connect the dots, Ying’s questions would remind you to water the plant.
This morning, however, she didn’t ask. So you thought that she was sick of talking about it for two months and simply dropped it.
But no, she didn’t grow sick of it. It must’ve just slipped her mind.
And you still felt obligated to tell her the truth, despite the shame.
‘I think it died’
She paused for a moment. The dancing dots indicative of her typing weren’t there, and it felt like you could see her shocked face on the other side.
‘It died?’
‘How?’
‘Haven’t you been watering it?’
You sighed and typed back,
‘I have’
‘Did you give it fertiliser like you said?’
‘I have’
She paused for a moment.
Ying’s forte wasn’t gardening. Being mentally healthy, she didn’t seek relief from a pit of depression the same way you did, so she could never truly understand how emotionally stricken you were.
But she knew that it was great enough for her to take action.
‘Send me a picture.’
You heaved a sigh. Then, you opened the camera app and stood up, taking a few steps back to get the whole thing in the frame.
Even then, you had to move halfway across the living room to even hope to achieve such a task.
After a few minutes, you sent it and waited for a response.
‘Ah, that looks bad…’
‘I’ve never seen anything like this before.’
You sighed.
It felt like you had. But for some reason, despite how often it pushed Yu to the forefront of it, your mind just blocked any information about plants out and avoided it like it was the plague.
‘Give me a moment. I’ll send something to help you.’
And with that, she went offline.
You swore you saw a plant get like this before. Once, and you immediately knew how to deal with it.
But for the love of God, you couldn’t remember what you did or what plant it was. When did this even happen?Were you dating Yu at the time? Why was it such a distant memory?
You set your phone down in your pocket and stared at the plant once more, struggling to keep your mind from crawling back to where it always went in moments like these. Instead, you strenuously wracked your brain trying to remember.
The sudden buzz caught you off guard. And you took out your phone to see something that caught you off guard even more.
It was an article Ying sent you. An article on…
Pruning.
It was a word you hadn’t heard in years.
Did you even know what it meant? You… You used it multiple times before, didn’t you?
Tapping on the article would yield a few answers to your questions. More specifically, on what pruning was and why it’s necessary. But the thing that caught your attention were the pictures.
The pictures the author had posted, the tree before it was pruned, looked exactly like yours.
Dry, overloaded with vines wrapped around each other, and dead.
Ying was right... The plant wasn’t dead; these excess branches were just taking up valuable energy and nutrients, only to not give any fruit in return.
All of this was salvageable. It can survive. The solution was right there.
You just needed your mind to stop blocking everything useful out.
And you needed to prune it all.
‘Pruning? I… heard of that before, but I never looked into it. It sounds complex.’
Yu responded to your explanation. And you couldn’t help but huff in anger, quickly turning on your heel.
“Stop talking to me.”
You rushed through the living room and towards your bedroom.
Then, you stopped in front of a drawer and pulled out a set of shears buried deep within your other abandoned items for your little gardening hobby.
It took your fingers a moment to adjust to the proper grip. And once it did, it began to feel natural.
Like the very shears were sculpted to fit your hand.
Memories trickled down your mind, and you swore you could recall some more information on growing other fruits you hadn’t ever thought about.
You stood up, then moved back to the living room. And on the way to the tree, you grabbed the nearby lamp and brought it closer towards it, positioning the light above it.
‘You make it sound so easy.’
Yu responded with a chuckle.
Though he was innocently replying to something you said, it felt like he was laughing at your predicament.
And pushing him out was difficult.
You sighed as you stood in front of the plant once more, feeling intimidated.
Pruning… was something delicate. One mistake, and you could cut too much or too little of a branch and potentially kill the whole thing.
You didn’t want that to happen. For the love of God, you desperately wanted this one thing you took care of to succeed.
‘If I may ask… how does it work?’
His tone bled with worry. Clearly, he didn’t want to come across as a bother.
But he didn’t bother you at the time. He didn’t bother you at all. In fact, the thought of showing him your work process again felt exciting.
Now, however, thinking about him was starting to get very debilitating.
You sat down and gently grabbed one branch, carefully isolating it from the others to avoid any possible mistakes.
The blades were held mere inches away from your target. You tilted your hand to get the perfect shape, ever so slightly moving it so as to get the perfect and least destructive angle in order to cut this branch off.
Then, with a calculated snip, it came off and fell on your lap.
You immediately set it aside and moved on to another, studying the plant over and over to figure out which to cut and which to keep.
Doing this felt so familiar. And even if your memory didn’t serve you well, your intuition did. It felt like your hands were pushing you towards which ones to cut and which ones to keep.
‘Of course it is.’
Yu said with a smile.
Then, he sat down next to you and watched you work in silence.
Both of you knew that– Ugh.
You knew that you’d be sitting there for an hour, at least. But with your inhuman level of patience and desire to keep things precise, it didn’t really bother you. You welcomed the long wait, in fact.
Given your meticulousness, it would take a while for you to prune even one plant. And your back would be aching afterwards.
But you didn’t mind. You loved it. Especially the pride you’d feel afterwards.
Even if it was temporary, it took your mind off of things.
Thirty minutes in, it did just that, and you had slowly begun to forget what was upsetting you the past few years.
❤ฺ·。
Some time had passed since then. Well, a lot of time, actually.
How much, exactly, you weren’t sure, since all of the days started to blend into one neverending afternoon at the café and one long dreadful night in bed with all of Yu’s blankets.
Your morning routine grew quicker and quicker with each passing day. You’d get up, wash up, and rush to care for the plant as fast as possible before leaving.
After the debacle that took place a while ago, you were afraid to look at it and find that there was a mistake. So, the solution?
Care for it like you normally would. Just… don’t look at it.
Smart, right?
Yeah, no.
But you felt lightheaded every time that cursed plant came up in your mind.
Even after you spent all of that time pruning it, getting comfortable with its existence was a contingency that would probably remain just that: a contingency.
The very thought of it was terrifying, and you’d do anything to get rid of the feeling.
Today was no different.
Your morning routine was complete once you put on your jacket as the final touch for your heavy outfit.
Then, you grabbed the mister and headed towards the tree, keeping your eyes on the floor whilst you began misting it.
And within only half a minute, you were already outside, rapidly marching down the staircase without a single glance spared for the plant.
You swore you saw some faint purple on it, but you didn’t care. You wanted out and you wanted it now.
Only now did it dawn on you how stupid all of this fear was.
Might as well get rid of it, you mused, especially if it was heavily affecting you like this. It’s not like you had any spare brain power for anymore negativity. Right?
Yeah, probably not…
An empty jingle accompanied your entrance. And you walked in to see only an empty counter facing you.
You took a second to observe the area, but this and the misplaced silence only confirmed that there was absolutely nobody.
Not behind the counter, not on any of the booths near the windows, nowhere.
You couldn’t even hear anything from the back, only the repetitive music that continuously played and the machinery’s repetitive humming.
Where the heck was Ying? Or anyone else, at least?
This was the morning shift, and the door was unlocked; it wasn’t far-fetched to believe someone could’ve taken advantage of this and stolen something.
Not like the cameras can do much. Unless Ying somehow earned a bunch of money and replaced them with state-of-the-art security cameras… Yeah, that sounds like something she’d do behind your back.
You still never really knew where she or Yu got their money.
“Ying?”
You called out worriedly, quickly looking around.
Your panic died halfway through once you finally saw a familiar tall woman standing in an unexpected spot; her impressive ponytail allowed you to immediately recognise who it was.
Ying stood between the few dozen tables in the open dining area. Not only was her back turned towards you, but she also had her hands up and formed a shape you couldn’t see from this distance as she stared at an empty spot she created by pushing the nearby furniture away. Tables, chairs, that sort.
She was staring at the beige brick wall… for some reason. It sort of concerned you as you walked towards her.
The loud clicks of your heavy winter boots were impossible to ignore. Either she did just that, or she was too engrossed in what she was doing to hear you.
You were allowed a wider view once you stopped next to her. And only now did you see the camera shape she formed with her fingers.
The potted plant set on the oak table bothered her, and she took a few microsteps back to try and get it out of the ‘frame’.
Then, a car sped by the window from behind, its strong lights forcing your silhouette to conceal her.
And that snapped her out of her trance.
“Ah, Y/N! Good morning.”
“What’re you doing?”
“You’ll love this. I saw a painting yesterday and I’d love to hang it here; however, there’s a problem,” she placed one finger on her chin thoughtfully, turning back to the empty part of the wall, “even after I moved our tables, there’s little to no room.”
“What painting?”
“Oh, right. One moment.”
She took out her phone and simply turned it on to show you. It didn’t take long for you to realise it was set as the lockscreen.
And it was exactly something you thought Ying would love. A painting with four decorated squares, each square displaying a woman donning a white dress with foliage behind them. The trees bore a variety of different fruit, kinds of trees, even the birds that flew by.
Titled ‘The Seasons’, by Alphonse Mucha, 1896.
Not that you knew who that was, but, yeah, sounds about right.
You couldn’t help but smile in amusement as you looked back at her.
“I’ll need a measuring tape to see if the dimensions match, but isn’t this… controversial?”
You referred to their thin white dresses. All except for Winter, who had a light cyan cloth wrapped around her figure to protect her from the cold.
“It was love at first sight, Y/N! I’m not letting this painting go, no matter how expensive it is. Ah, but that’s besides the point.” She pocketed her phone and smiled, beckoning you to follow her. “So, how are you? How’s the tree?”
You paled as each of you ambled towards the register, your mind immediately thrown back to the discomfort you’d just crawled out of minutes ago.
Great.
You heaved a sigh and kept your eyes on the chequered ground, glimmering under the sharp lights above you.
“I… didn’t see it. I don’t want to talk about it.”
She stopped and looked at you.
Though she still carried her chummy smile, you could tell there was an immense amount of confusion just by the tilt of her head.
“Is it dead?”
“No. I’m still caring for it. But the thought of it makes me ill.”
She was visibly relieved.
“That’s– that’s good! I assumed something worse.”
It’s not like you really knew whether or not there was something worse.
For all you know, it could be dead, and you were just watering what was effectively a withered corpse.
But that didn’t really…
“If you’d like, I can check it for you instead.”
You were taken by surprise.
Had it been anyone else who said this to you, it would’ve been unbelievably patronising.
“It’s just some dumb tree, Ying. I can check on it myself.”
“And I can see that it’s very valuable to you. You clearly care about the life of this tree, right? That’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Just as she finished speaking, the phone from her office loudly began ringing and caught each of you off guard.
“The choice is yours, but the offer is still open. I’m willing to check it for you.”
And with that, she immediately turned to the counters and disappeared to her office, leaving you dumbfounded.
Whenever you’d wonder why you always forgot that Ying was your boss and not your friend or second mother, you’d be reminded exactly why that habit remained unbroken.
Did she think that the tree stuff was that important to you?
Sure, the thought of a blizzard wiping out your complex sounded less intimidating than coming home and seeing that plant dead, but…
Huh, maybe she had a point. But you still weren’t up for being doted on like a child.
At the end of the day, it was a tree. You shouldn’t be mentally affected if it did actually get wiped out by something. You should be able to just look at it without your stomach being violently churned and your mind senselessly overreacting to it.
Then, the bell’s familiar jingle snatched your attention, and you immediately turned to see a few customers walking through the double door.
Right, work. Shouldn’t forget that. Not that Ying was very helpful in a task like that.
You pushed those thoughts out of your head and prepared yourself to get to take their orders.
❤ฺ·。
Despite how thin the metal frame of the door was, you could still see the reflection it shot back at you, almost like an attempt to mock you.
You ignored the fact that you were sweating, even though you were surrounded by snow. And it wasn’t because of the temperature.
The frame was there to rudely remind you of that. Plus, your wide eyes were indicative of fear.
Work was over. And you wanted to look at the tree.
So, your unrelenting panic left you with no choice but to admit you were terrified.
The prospect of it being dead had grown increasingly possible over the past month. And now, you had to face it.
The thought of just calling Ying to take her up on her offer popped up in your mind. Heck, why not take everything you own and move into another complex? It was easier to do.
Just as your fingers shakily wrapped around the cold handle, moving out suddenly became incredibly seductive to you.
Then, you sighed and forced yourself inside.
You threw your heavy jacket on top of the blankets on the sofa, slipped off your boots and moved to the large windows in the living room where the tree resided.
The air around you was heavy and added to the tense atmosphere. The lighting? Just as dreadful, and you felt your stomach churn.
Throughout the entire path, your gaze remained locked on the floor out of fear.
Why were you so scared? It’s just a stupid tree. Even if it died, it’s not like it would do anything to you physically.
You sighed.
Why were you so sure it was dead? Why couldn’t you be positive for once?
Gah, whatever. Dead or not, you would be the one to deal with the consequences. It wasn’t that hard to toss out the soil and whatever other rubbish there was.
Then, with a deep yet shaky breath, you lifted your chin to see your work.
And your eyes widened at the sight.
It flowered.
There were flowers on it!
A deep shade of purple and a ring of yellow right in the centre. With the corona filaments that protruded from it, it nearly hypnotised you with just one look.
You observed the vine and began counting the flowers in excitement.
Two of the flowers were in an interesting position; they sat right next to each other despite being on different vines. And from this angle, it looked like two human eyes.
Purple eyes that stared right at you.
You sighed and stood up, a memory popping up in your mind to distract you from that thought.
Might as well bring your heater next to it; you remembered that the fruit would ripen quicker that way.
That, and…
Well, you were going to plant the seeds you saved.
‘How long until the trees bear fruit?’
The door of the fridge swung open, revealing the bag of seeds you’d saved deep within its empty shelves. Immediately, you took them and left to cut the plastic bag open.
You didn’t want to respond to him. You didn’t want to allow your mind to bring up Yu as a way to deal with everything happening.
You already allowed it to put you in a deep pit of depression and convince you that grieving over your parents for decades on end was benefiting you.
Yu was a distant memory. He was gone. And that’s a fact.
But really, how many years until passion tree fruits bear fruit?
What was it… three years?
Yes, three years. That must be it.
‘One year? And you… wait for it?’
He said, amazed at the answer you had given him at the time.
Right. One year. Not three. You… must’ve mixed up the passion fruit with some other kind of fruit. Possibly lemons?
You weren’t too sure.
Then that means that you only had to wait until summer to harvest the fruit. Or autumn. Whenever it was, you were ready.
The mere thought of finally getting a harvest after so long made your heart skip a beat in excitement, a feeling you hadn’t had the privilege of experiencing in so long.
‘I see. And what about this one?’
You remembered holding his wrist and stopping him from touching the passion fruit that was still stuck on the tree. Then, you explained it to him like he was your junior.
You knew that your boyfriend would’ve never dared to pluck anything from your tree without your permission; his intentions were clearly pure, but you still wanted to be clear and let him know.
For one, the skin was smooth. And the smoother the skin, the worse it would taste. In your opinion, anyway. You loved wrinkly passion fruit.
And two, the fruit didn’t fall off.
‘Sorry.’
Yu sheepishly pulled away, listening to you intricately explain the exact criteria required to be met in order to achieve maximum enjoyment from a passion fruit.
Then, you snuck in a sarcastic comment halfway through, earning an even meeker reaction coupled with an awkward laugh.
‘No, of course not. I don’t think I’d have the time to look after so many plants. Not, not that it’s a bad thing.’
Ugh. Why were you recalling all of this? You weren’t even responding to the memory at this point, but you swore your words sat at the tip of your tongue.
You quickly shoved away a lock of hair from your face, before marching towards your room and making your way towards the balcony.
You hated that these stupid conversations were starting to actually jog your memory.
Just as you opened the door, the cold wind from the outside immediately hit you. The sudden and violent shift in temperature was almost as painful as being kicked by a horse in the abdomen.
It was very uncomfortable, sure, and you’d only now remembered that you were only wearing a tank top, but this succeeded in finally interrupting the annoying memory.
So you gritted your teeth and stepped outside with no intention of covering up.
If this was what it took, then so be it.
But maybe there was an easier way to block it all out. Like… Like headphones?
No… Too soon, you noted as you wrapped your fingers around one empty pot.
❤ฺ·。
Winter, two years ago.
Despite dating for however long now, it was still hard to get used to Yu's reluctance to share much of his personal life with you.
He never told you where his family was (aside from his grandmother), or where he’d go that was ‘so important’ he couldn’t possibly answer a simple text from you.
That, and, you know, he still never told you why his eyes were purple.
You hoped that he’d bring that up, at least, but he never did. Heck, Ying didn’t even mention it once when he got hired, and your co-workers only made an off-handed comment before going on about their day.
You thought they were a pair of contacts until you saw him sleep in them. That wasn’t to mention how whenever he’d rub his eyes, said ‘contacts’ were unaffected by such movement.
And now that it’s been three years, it felt awkward to ask now.
But when you brought up radiancy being the cause, he immediately shut that thought down.
So you aimed to take things into your own hands.
Do something that wasn’t remembering the past, something innocent.
Yu didn’t hold your hand on the way home today.
Not because he was mad at you or anything. In fact, the ‘home’ you were both headed towards wasn’t your apartment. It wasn’t your apartment at all.
For the first time, you were going to check out his house. Which required the both of you to take the bus.
Exciting, right?
And it moved erratically on account of the blizzard that occurred. Even after a week, the ice and mounds of snow on the road still haven’t melted, and Yu knew that clinging onto you like a koala to protect you was a solution that would very much irk you.
Even though, admittedly, it probably would’ve been fun for him to do so.
So he had a better idea.
You found yourself in a confined area with a window right next to you and a wall behind you.
Yu stood in front of you, one hand on said window and the other firmly clutching the handrail connected to the wall, ‘trapping’ you in order to keep you from falling.
This position was both embarrassing and perfect.
Since he loomed over you like a titan, the sunlight highlighted the exact features you needed. And so you stared, scrutinising those mystifying bulbs of purple for an answer whilst he stared at the road you all passed by.
And you couldn’t find any hint of brown or black underneath. Heck, even blue or green, whatever. You couldn’t isolate any other colour.
All they did was gently reflect the road like a mirror to prove that they were, in fact, naturally purple.
As if they were jeering at you for questioning this anomaly.
Yu promptly took notice of your harsh examination after a few minutes, meeting your gaze with an awkward smile.
“Are you okay?”
You continued observing for a few seconds before finally caving in and biting the bullet.
“What colour are your eyes, Yu?”
He paused for a moment, holding on to the railing once the bus swerved in a dramatic manner.
Yu would usually be clueless about most things. But this time, judging by the way his eyes ever so slightly widened, you knew he knew what you meant.
“Purple, why?”
You rolled your eyes, the exact reaction he hoped to get out of you.
“I’m joking, I’m joking. They're actually lilac.”
“That doesn’t narrow it down either.”
He couldn’t stifle the chuckle that escaped him.
Probably spent a few hours on Google trying to find the shade that matched them just to give it a name, now that you thought about it.
“No, I mean it. They are purple. You didn’t catch anything weird while you were staring, did you?”
You crossed your arms, still unconvinced.
In what world would purple be a natural colour for a non-radiant? And what you hated more was that it didn’t seem like he was lying about it. So what was the cause?
“You have naturally purple eyes.”
“You believe me, don’t you? I’d be shattered if you didn’t.”
Yu smiled and leaned down to kiss your forehead, attempting (albeit failing) to appeal to your nonexistent emotions.
He was endeared by the unamused pout of your lips, only highlighted by the dull expression that you always carried.
But you were even more endeared.
Even without the striking eyes he possessed, he looked stunning, especially in this light.
Like a painting.
Just the way his black hair mimicked brushstrokes, a few clumps of it parted like the tufts of a brush.
You were snapped out of your trance once you felt Yu nuzzle against you like some kind of greedy cat.
Because if he couldn’t hold your hand, he had to do something else, huh? You thought.
“Gosh, Yu, don’t be so soppy out in public. You’ll get eyes on us.”
He paused for a moment, the dilation of his pupils ever so visible.
“But we’re already getting stared at.”
You were confused for a moment.
And you didn’t understand what he meant until the bus drove by a massive house, one that exuded a shadow large enough to loom over the entire vehicle for a split second.
And in that split second, you caught the reflection of a few people sitting behind you. Just like he said; their eyes were on both of you.
Huh.
Oh.
Now that you thought about it, maybe this position was a teensy tiny bit immodest.
“Not, uh, not that I mind.”
He added, quickly glancing at the ground.
Of course he wouldn’t, he was the one who put you in this predicament in the first place.
You couldn’t help but lightly flick the thick red strings on his hoodie with a grin.
“Cut it out, you doofus. You’re embarrassing me.”
“But you’re not stopping me.”
He smiled and leaned down to kiss your forehead again.
You couldn’t see anyone’s reflection anymore, but for some reason, you knew this repetitive move only brought more attention.
Despite the potency of the lemon fragrance from here, you still didn’t have any intention to push him away.
You couldn’t even deny how cute he was, not with the glimmer in those completely natural purple eyes. But still, you playfully pushed him away a few inches and instead moved your eyes towards the window.
Then, before another word could be exchanged, the bright text on the screen above changed to the area you were in.
Yu, however, was quicker to notice this and used one hand to keep you steady against the wall you leaned on.
“Watch out; the bus gets unstable here.”
His words were immediately proven correct the moment the vehicle stopped.
And you knew you would’ve probably lost your balance and fallen against him had he not kept you steady against the wall, especially when the few other bystanders were nearly knocked off of their feet.
The urge to insult his route home grew impossible to keep under control.
But, again, he was your boyfriend. Should probably be nice.
Once the doors swung open and, once it was deemed safe, he relaxed his grip on you.
“Are you okay?”
You responded with a nod, and this only painted a smile on his face.
“Good. Let’s go.”
Yu held your wrist and led you out of the bus, holding you close to him.
Despite your thick clothes, the moment you stepped on the pavement, the harsh cold from the outside struck you with force. It gave you whiplash, especially compared to the cool temperature of the bus.
His tall and broad figure, though, succeeded in protecting most of you from the wind.
Was this what he had to deal with every time he left the bus…?
Well, perhaps his thick hoodies did more than cover his impressive form.
Then, just as the bus drove off and the others walked to their own destinations, the both of you began moving towards the house you wondered so much about.
And it was… super pretty. It nearly matched who he was, now that you thought about it.
Humble, sizable, and if it weren’t for a few modern touches to its colour palette and the structure of its roof, it could’ve easily passed for a cottage.
The small front yard was covered in about a foot of snow.
You assumed that there was a path underneath that led to the cherry door, one you would’ve been able to see if it weren’t for the bed of snow ruining such a pretty view.
Nevertheless, you kept walking alongside him, listening to the quiet crunches of the snow beneath your boots since your headphones were off.
Yu then grabbed your wrist and pulled you back.
“Be careful. There are steps here.”
You looked down to see an unassuming mound of snow.
“Where?”
To answer your question, he stepped on then pushed it away with his foot, and alas, there was a set of pretty stone steps that led right up to the entrance you eyed earlier.
Despite the snow, everything was so pretty. The steps, the yard, the bloody door. In fact, it was starting to get concerning.
Another question popped up in your mind as you took his hand and moved up the stairs.
“How do you pay for all of this? Does your grandmother help you?”
You took note of the sudden, awkward silence that filled the air. And it took him a moment to think of what to say to that.
Even if it was much easier, even if he’d done much worse, the one thing he couldn’t do was to lie to you.
“I… have a way.”
That was all he could muster up.
And just the tone let you know that something was wrong.
He began unlocking the door to distract from the tense atmosphere, the surrounding snow only amplifying the rattling of his keys as they rapidly moved.
You stared, waiting for him to continue his sentence.
Just as you opened your mouth to speak, he beat you to it.
“Maybe one day I’ll tell you.”
“One day?”
He nodded, but you could sense some reluctance in the movement.
Then, the door swung open.
“There we go. Here, come with me, I’d like to show you something sweet.”
He held your wrist and immediately brought you inside.
With the large entrance that led to the living room sitting right in front of you, your question was knocked right out of your mind, all in favour of finally observing his mysterious home.
The vast living room was brilliantly lit up by the cloudy sky outside. However, it was somewhat empty, minus a few essential things one needed in a house and the massive patterned carpet classified as ‘decoration’.
As if he’d just moved into his new home and started making himself comfortable.
If there was one thing consistent about Yu, it would be his abnormality, that’s for sure.
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PLEASE I LOVED THE JOLLZ AND JOSHSEKI X READER I NEED MORE 😭
Dude ur so good at writing. I was giggling and laughing and just smiling reading all them both(laughing mainly at the Jollz one). I can just imagine Jollz playing with reader and shitting on guys who talk down on her(joshseki too) and the chat is just going along with it like they're also in the game like (don't be mean to our mother!)😭
You're so good at writing. Honestly, you should do more Jollz and joshseki x reader oneshots. They're so good and I love how I can laugh while reading them
Ahhhh thank you so much, I'm glad you liked it!!
Also "don't be mean to our mother" chat sees Jollz's wife and just adopts her as their mum? And they defend the readers during games??
I'M BLUSHING that's straight up the cutest thing I've ever imagined
I'm down with the streamer oneshots if people like it, but my creativity might NOT help if I came up with this stuff alone haha
I'll see what I can do though!
#valorant#valorant jollz#valorant joshseki#twitch streamer#jollz#joshseki#valorant fanfiction#valorant oneshots
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So I love Jollz and joshseki but nobody writes about valorant streamers 😔
I was wondering if you would??
Like ik jollz makes a ton of mom tokes all the time but what if he secretly had like a wife or something?? He's 30 now so he'd probably be married for a couple of years and he randomly says something about his relationship on stream or like reader walks in during a stream by accident not remembering hes streaming?
And joshseki has a girlfriend he met through valorant and they started living together? Like his chat randomly starts noticing pink stuff around his gaming room and stuff (like they share a gaming room) and start getting suspicious?
IDKK I just love them both and I think stories about the two would be so cute. And I think if someone starts writing about the two then maybe more would start as well. I know you're in the middle of an iso series right now but I like your writing because of how good and long they are.
Heya, thanks for the request! And your kind words, got me smiling like an idiot for too long haha
Also so sorry for the delay, literally everything happened when you sent this I am fish and the reckoning cinematic is my water I just CAN'T stop watching
Writing about real people is a very new concept for me so I hope I did well on this. Have a good read!!
[ Jollz x F! Reader ] / [ Joshseki x F! Reader ]
Words: 1k each
Note: Please don't copy or steal my work and pass it off as your own! If you'd like to use one of my headcanons or something, I'd love it if you tagged or asked.
。+❤ฺ·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ· +❤·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ·
Jollz!
This morning had been a slow one for Jollz.
His routine was the same as any other one. He woke up, washed up, and went to the kitchen to make his morning coffee whilst chatting with you.
He had a timer on his phone to specifically announce when he should get to his office to start streaming. But even after it struck and he had arrived to turn on his computer, he didn’t gain any of the energy he normally had every other day.
Moving his mouse felt like a drag, let alone actually focusing on the upcoming game.
And the topic that the chat had taken up once people had gathered didn’t exactly help either; people mostly started comparing their morning routines after their previously relaxed greetings spiralled.
‘Yo whats ur morning routine?’
“Guys, this is gonna be hard to believe, but my morning routine isn’t crazy. It’s ten minutes long.”
He tapped his index finger on the mousepad as he read a few responses from the chatters.
This drab talk about morning routines was definitely not on his list of ‘entertaining things to talk about’, and it only further exhausted him.
“Yeah, no, I’m only playing a couple games today. No idea why I’m so tired, though.”
‘only single people have 10 min morning routines’
‘facts’
A few other people were also quick to agree with this sentiment; all except for the obvious, Jollz, and he couldn’t help but laugh at this exchange with a particularly prideful smile.
He sat back and smugly checked out his nails as he spoke,
“Trueee. Single people have way too much time on their hands. Glad I'm not one of them.”
He knew exactly what he was doing with these words.
And almost as if it were on cue, his smile only widened to a grin once he saw the stream of oncoming messages the moment he stopped talking. And he didn’t really need to read anything to know that they were demanding an explanation for such a bold statement.
Now this was the excitement he was used to, he mused.
“‘What do you mean by that?’ I’m just saying what we’re all thinking here.”
‘Jollz youre speaking in code’
“Speaking in code? That’s wild...”
The door behind him swung open, and a set of gentle knocks that accompanied them interrupted the entertainment he was deriving from the catastrophe.
Luckily, by the sound of the steps he heard earlier, Jollz already knew it was you before he turned around to meet your gaze.
“Hey, babe, are you…”
He stopped once he noticed the full cup of coffee in your hands, and the lack of steam from the drink was enough to tell him what you didn’t need to say.
Jollz had forgotten the coffee he made in the kitchen this morning.
Again.
Which also explained why he was so bloody tired, but that’s by the by.
“Wait, hold on, listen–”
“This is the third time this week.”
Jollz sat up with a guilty smile as you approached with his cup, and he couldn’t help but scramble for reasons to defend himself.
“Fair point, but…”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I can’t help you if a fly ever happens to drown in this.”
Of course you’d say that, he thought.
The mere thought of a fly grossed you out, let alone digging one’s corpse out of a drink.
“Yeah, so, in all fairness, I actually had something scheduled.”
“Today?”
You stopped at his desk and set down the cup in an empty spot on his desk, but there were a multitude of tabs open on one monitor and Valorant proudly displayed on the other. They all seemed to be calling for your attention.
You were only vaguely familiar with most of the software that he had open; however, it wasn’t exactly hard to isolate the chat amongst everything.
It rapidly moved with messages you couldn’t read from this distance. But the worst part was that you could see your own reflection on the webcam as you stood behind him.
Uh oh.
Your attire, being a casual nightgown, did not meet the standards expected of someone standing in front of a bloody audience.
Well, not your standards, anyway.
A tinge of red painted your cheeks once you’d finally put two-and-two together.
“You didn’t tell me you were streaming today. Am I interrupting?”
“Oh yeah, totally. It was intense before you came in. VCT-level gameplay.”
You lightly laughed once he pointed to the timer whilst it searched for a game before pulling him close and planting a kiss on his cheek.
“I’ll let you handle it. Best of luck, dear.”
Cheeky, you mused to yourself as you walked out of the room.
But being the guy who always resorted to knifing everyone whenever he could, it made sense for him to be just that.
“Thanks babe.” He took a sip shortly after, grimacing at the temperature before he set it down. “Ice cold coffee, my favourite.”
That one sip seemed to work in rejuvenating him, however, and he was definitely grateful for that.
Only now did he actually take notice of what the flood of messages were actually saying. And once they came down from their shock, they inferred exactly what was going on.
‘dear 🥺’
‘Girlfriend’
‘ya thats his gf alright’
Quick on his feet, he prepared another statement sure to stir the pot that was his viewers’ confusion.
“Why’s ‘girlfriend’ your first guess? She could be my friend’s mom, for all you know, and they’re just visiting today.”
‘That’s not stopping you jollz 💀💀💀’
‘YOU CALLED HER BABE’
They shortly spammed the words ‘babe’ and ‘thanks babe’ to subtly remind him of how he referred to you earlier.
To put it kindly, this statement was instantaneously shot down by the chatters. If their words weren’t indicative of that, the emotes they typed out alongside their growing surprise definitely made it clear.
Besides, it wasn’t that hard to tell, considering you were exactly Jollz’s type, down to the mellow tone of your voice.
‘is she actually ur gf tho’
“Bro, don’t act confused. I’ve been wearing my wedding ring the whole time; you should’ve seen it by now.”
His viewers flooded the chat with demands to be shown this mysterious ring he spoke of. And at that, he held up his hand with faux ignorance to reveal the multitude of rings he wore.
Somehow, both this and the ‘clarifying’ statement only further confused the chatters.
Girlfriend, sure, but marriage? They probably would’ve doubted it if they hadn’t seen concrete proof mere minutes ago.
Oh, but it technically should’ve been easy for them to infer his relationship status on account of the one secured around his ring finger. Not that it blended in, or anything.
“It’s right here,” he extended his ring finger, “get it together, chat.”
He teased with a cheeky smile before lifting his cold drink for another sip.
If the coffee wasn’t quick enough to energise him, this conversation surely did.
Joshseki!
Josh’s gaming room was quite a minimalistic one.
Despite having a notable array of colours that pleasantly complemented each other, they were still muted; and the structure of the furniture he’d picked out was delicately balanced between comfortable and presentable.
All of it fit his calm personality to a tee (when he wasn’t playing Valorant), and was also easy on the eyes.
Especially for the viewers.
So during one particularly annoying game, once Josh unknowingly shifted his chair to the right as he spoke to his teammate, an annoying Reyna, one of his viewers’ eyes immediately locked on the hazy pink object that was set on the American sycamore dresser a few feet away.
To say the bright pink item stood out despite the distance and the pixelation would be a massive understatement, and the fact that it sat there with no explanation only increased their curiosity to an exponential degree.
The only viewer who actually noticed this decided to type out his question,
‘josh whats that behind u’
Unfortunately for them, however, he didn’t catch the question amongst the onslaught of similar messages that were flooding the chat referencing the toxic duellist he was currently dealing with.
The game had been going on for nearly two hours, and the twentieth round promptly ended in a loss.
Once they respawned and the overtime pop-up box appeared, everyone except for him immediately voted for the game to continue. Only one vote was required for it to end in a draw.
He sat back with a sigh and took off his headphones so as to not listen to the demands of his teammates.
This seemingly simple move, however, covered up the pink object behind him.
“What did I tell you, chat? This is what happens when I’m not the instalock. I’m drawing; I don’t care.”
‘WHATS THAT BEHIND U\’
The moment Josh looked towards the chat for a response, they quickly snatched up the opportunity and asked, but their message was drowned out by a union of agreement on their side.
“‘Draw?’ Let’s go. See, I knew you guys would come around.”
And with that, the game ended. He luckily couldn’t hear anything his teammates were saying since his headphones were off.
He shortly grabbed them once they were all disconnected and went to put them on. An off-screen voice came up from the other side of the room before he could, asking a question muffled to the chat.
“Yeah, I closed the door.”
He responded, and the chat was overwhelmed with ‘who?’ and variations of the simple question.
The voice increased in volume once more, presumably in response to his statement, and he looked back with a wide grin.
“When’d he get here? Chat, wait, I have to take care of Nogu.”
Josh stood up and walked out of the camera’s frame, revealing both the pink object and a baby pink dress splayed out on the couch.
If that object and the mysterious voice didn’t cause enough of a fuss, this one absolutely did, and the chat erupted with even more questions despite him not being present.
He grabbed the cat from the other side of the room and left so he could put her outside. And by the time he came back, it had been discovered that the mysterious pink object was lipstick, further increasing their suspicions that there was another person in the room.
And to say Josh came back to chaos would be a gross understatement.
He was bombarded with questions the moment he sat down and put his headphones back on. But after about a minute of staring blankly and attempting to decipher them, he managed to catch a repetitive question asked over and over.
“‘Is the dress a gift?’ Chat, not every gift should be a Valorant skin. But no, it’s not.”
He seemingly mistook their intention behind the question as he queued into another game, much to their frustration, and they responded the only sensible way before he’d move on from the topic.
‘WHY IS THERE A DRESS’
“It’s for my girlf–”
“Josh, he’s still ruining my game!”
The same voice spoke loudly from behind him once more. This time, however, it was audible enough and allowed the chat to finally comprehend what was being said.
But before any more investigation could occur, a mysterious woman, you, popped up into the frame with the same rascal of a cat that spent the past twenty minutes sleeping on your keyboard and ruining your own game.
“You watched me close the door this time!”
“Yeah! He probably snuck through the opening.”
It sounded plausible enough, what with how flexible the feline was and the considerably large opening just beneath the white door.
You set him outside the corridor as Josh followed your movements, pushing Nogu away until he was at a safe distance before slamming the door shut.
Then, you walked away, noticing a few seconds later what all of the confusion was about.
“Hi chat! That’s my dress.”
You pointed at the now-obscured lace dress before disappearing and going back to your setup.
Once he turned his chair to face the monitor, he noticed the chaos that ensued in the chat, especially the flow of messages that were too quick for him to keep up with.
“You guys heard that? It’s her dress.”
The announcer’s voice immediately interrupted his words, and he was launched into the game.
But the chat mulled over the design of the dress as Josh aimed to pick Reyna the moment he was allowed to. Despite only seeing it for a few seconds, they noted its formality…
Definitely a date night, huh?
#valorant#valorant x reader#valorant x f reader#what do i even tag this haha omg#valorant jollz#valorant joshseki#twitch streamer#jollz#joshseki#valorant fanfiction#valorant oneshots
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One Hazy Winter [Iso x F! Reader] [2]
[ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 ]
Genre: Angst, fluff
TW: Depression and implied suicide
Words: 4.7k
Synopsis: One winter before his disappearance, you told your boyfriend Yu about a question you’ve had for so long; one even he could hardly respond to.
It took many more hopeless winters for you to finally have your answer.
Note: Please don't copy or steal my work and pass it off as your own! If you'd like to use one of my headcanons or something, I'd love it if you tagged or asked.
Also, happy new year!!! 2025 boutta be my year lads
。+❤ฺ·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ· +❤·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ·
Winter, present day.
Sitting on your bed and staring blankly at the wall became one of your top hobbies. And with Yu’s disappearance, with no one left to make you aware as to how fatuous and even harmful this habit was, it only moved up the dwindling list.
In fact, you’d been sitting there and reminiscing for the past five hours. Though you’d usually wear headphones to go along with it, this year, you avoided your earbuds like the plague.
They were tucked away, hidden, collecting dust in your drawer since last winter. And all you had to accompany you as noise were the sounds of the people outside, their chatter muffled by the closed windows.
The air was still, your muscles were aching, and your mind was crowded with pessimism.
Losing Yu was almost like the process of losing your parents, minus the denial part of it.
There wasn’t one thing in this town that didn’t remind you of him.
The path you took home reminded you of him. The bus he usually took that would pass by you, the blankets, the scent of lemons…
Heck, even the rocks he’d kick sometimes whilst you both walked, you swore you saw some of them on the way home today, as if they were jeering at you.
Although Yu helped you somewhat move on from your parents after nearly two decades of grief when you both met, this time, there wasn’t another ‘Yu’ to help you move on from this loss.
And you knew Ying wasn’t one to fit this criteria. Not when she was your boss.
But… would you even be able to do something like this on your own?
Maybe you were just meant to be alone. Hey, maybe this was your penance for… some wrongdoing you couldn’t think of.
However, whilst you were staring, a sudden rush of adrenaline coursed through your body. And you found yourself passing through your bedroom door in the blink of an eye for no good reason.
You were already in the living room with only a few short steps. And the very sight of the cramped area made your stomach churn.
Blankets strewn about on the couch and the two armchairs on each side, the remote on the coffee table that was slightly angled to the left, and the grey tufts of the plain carpet that swayed despondently with each passing second.
Nothing had moved, and the only change was the dust that began gathering thanks to the neglect.
Your eyes immediately darted to the corner of the living room, and that simply move answered the question that popped up in your mind.
The plant died. Just as expected.
Shrivelled up, starved and dry, its thin branches curled up like the bony fingers of a decade-old corpse.
…
You could already hear Yu in your ear, sensing your grief and looking to cheer you up any way he could.
‘Would you like me to empty that for you?’ he’d say. Then, he’d grab it and take it outside before you’d give him the confirmation, the thought of people judging him not even popping up in his mind.
You were sure he’d then try to convince you that it was okay. It was just one plant, you can always replace it. Besides, houseplants weren’t your specialty, were they?
How sweet of him, you thought. Lying and doing anything to spare your feelings.
You then felt a pang of shame. Aside from work, you hadn’t done anything today.
What would Yu say about that? Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be something pleasing to hear, that’s for sure.
You might as well do something productive and empty the thing. Declutter a bit. Besides, your muscles were starting to ache from staying still for too long.
You grabbed the maroon pot by the rim on each side. Then, with a deep breath, you began pulling it back, using all of your remaining strength to move it outside of the living room without dropping any of the dirt inside.
God knows you wouldn’t find the willpower to clean that up, you already used up all of it today back at work and… staying alive in general.
But then, another concerning thought popped up in your mind.
If this was how the one houseplant you kept looked like, the thought of what was in the balcony only sent shivers down your spine.
❤ฺ·。
The bell above let out a peculiarly jolly jingle once you swung the door and entered the café for today’s shift.
It was a detail you didn't care enough to note, not since you were too focused on letting your eyes get used to the repetitive chequered patterns on the walls and the mind-numbing music that played. That, combined with the dull morning that hardly differed from the others, you didn’t even realise you slid out of bed today.
However, it wasn’t until Ying’s voice immediately filled your ears, her tone pleasantly complementing said bell and snapping you from your half-asleep zombie-like state.
“There you are! How’s my little gardener doing?”
She almost spoke in a musical-like cheerful tone, each word rhythmically leading to the next.
Ying stood behind the register with a confident posture. Shoulders back, hands on hips, wide smile, and her ponytail ever so gently swaying with the weak breeze that weakly entered from the nearby window like a particularly shy child.
Even the people outside seemed to share the feeling of gloom you always carried you around.
So her attitude weirded you out for a second, especially with everything going on, but that’s not what you wanted to ask her about.
“Gardener?”
“Yes! You took the seeds home from yesterday, remember? Ah, now that I mention them…”
Right, the seeds you sealed in a bag and tossed in the back of your fridge. It’s not like you planned on doing anything with them, it was more so done by instinct.
You didn’t even know if putting them in the fridge was good for them, you thought as you made your way behind the counter.
“What happened to them, if I may ask?”
She questioned thoughtfully, one finger on her chin.
Her tone bore a hint of eagerness only found in her or Yu’s voice. And though it upset you, you worked to not let this sway the conversation.
“I haven’t done anything besides rinse them.”
“I insist you try, Y/N. It could be a productive use of your time!”
It was painfully obvious what she was referring to.
And you weren’t amused, despite how subtle she tried to be about it.
“I can hardly keep a potted plant alive, Ying. What makes you think I can get back to something like gardening?”
‘You make it look so easy’ everyone said whenever they used to see you march in with tropical fruit you harvested from the trees on your balcony.
But it wasn’t. God knows it wasn’t easy at all.
It took years upon years of practice to get to where you were in terms of knowledge. That, and it only took one loss for you to slip down a hole that forced you to list out reasons as to why you should bother making lunch for the day.
“You did it before, I am highly certain you can do it again. No, in fact, I am confident you can!”
Her eyes sparkled with an inappropriate amount of anticipation. A sparkle that nearly competed with her teal earrings in terms of brightness.
Seems like making that juice yesterday set off a bomb of hope inside of her, for some reason. And it didn’t look like she was giving up any time soon.
You held up a hand.
“I appreciate the thought, but–”
“You should do it!”
You jumped once she took your hand in hers, the warmth from her soft skin providing an abundance of comfort.
“I’m not waiting a whole year for a measly harvest of two wrinkly fruits.”
Almost like she didn’t hear you, Ying continued happily letting the words flow out of her mouth.
“There’s a shop nearby that sells garden ready plants. And if I recall correctly, they started selling passion fruit, as well. Perhaps you can give that a try?”
A sigh escaped you.
You knew that shop. In what world would a former gardener not know something like that?
But it didn’t seem like she was catching on to your body language, either. You were practically begging to be let go from this conversation and just go to work. The thought of dealing with customers was daunting enough already.
However…
Okay, this wasn’t one of your proudest talents, but when reasoning didn’t work, you had another technique on how to make someone as airheaded as Ying shut up.
You used it on Yu a lot, after all. But only as a last resort.
“Okay. Fine. I’m convinced. I’ll look into it after work. Alone,”
You counted down for the response you expected from her.
And, just as you thought, she lit up at this, grinning widely.
“Tell me how it goes, okay? And– and if you’d like any help, I’ll be one text away.”
“Got it.”
You mumbled and walked past her, finally making your way into the familiar yet very unfriendly arms of the back of the counter, clocking in.
Ugh. ‘I’ll be one text away’, she said.
You almost felt guilty.
Bosses like Ying were hard to come by. And the fact she even cared about your mental health set her value in stone. Yet here you were, brushing off her attempts to cheer you up.
You pushed away the feelings of guilt.
If you were going to feel bad, you weren’t going to do it during work. Maybe when you get back and lie back down.
❤ฺ·。
There was one question you knew Ying most likely wouldn’t have known the answer to whilst she spoke to you about getting back to gardening.
Who bloody cares?
Really, who cared whether or not you went back to gardening? And even if you did, what would you do with the fruit you’d get? It’s not like baking was a priority for you.
You could barely get out of bed on most days, let alone use said harvest to produce some sort of dessert or jam, or whatever. That stuff was complicated.
That, and you hardly visited Yu’s grandmother anymore for her monthly lemon dessert.
You couldn’t handle the thought.
But you didn’t ask, mostly because you didn’t really want to upset her.
Questions like that were more personal to Ying than they ever were to Yu. You weren’t sure why, but you attributed it to her valuing life to an abnormal degree. And, you know, the philosophy stuff.
You aimed to rush home as soon as you could. Walk down the familiar path, ignore that cursed shop, and just get to bed.
It seemed reasonable and quite easy. Like every other day.
No, like every day.
You were just crawling back to the comfort of lamenting the past, of dreading the future and hating the present.
The routine started to sicken you.
You stopped in the middle of your path. Fists clenched, buried deep within your pockets, and the sweat that dripped down your chin despite the blankets of snow around you only added on to the abundance of discomfort you felt.
Then, you turned back and walked towards the shop you worked so hard to ignore just a few moments prior.
You used your spare money to buy a garden ready passion fruit plant.
You had no idea why you were doing this. You had no idea why you would waste your money on something so expensive, just for it to probably die because you couldn’t even take care of yourself.
Should you be even doing this in the winter? Wasn’t winter notorious for death?
And yet, with all of this, you still walked out with an empty wallet and a plant to care for.
The very thought of getting up every day and having to water it made your stomach churn. But the only bright side was that this thing didn’t remind you of Yu or your parents.
It was just some plant, and passion fruit was your favourite fruit. So, grief couldn’t ruin this for you. Right?
Yeah, no. Your mother liked passion fruit, as well.
This was going to be more difficult than you imagined it to be. But, to be fair, most things were.
A sigh escaped you as you set the plant inside the vast pot and dumped the extra soil around it. With its roots spread out, it should be safe for it to adapt in this new environment despite the season.
However, though you were careful, bits of soil had managed to pour out of the pot and onto the ground whilst you wrapped it around the plant.
You cared for about a few picoseconds, before another thing took over your mind.
With the soil finally surrounding the plant, you dusted your hands off and grabbed the rim of the brown pot on each side. Then, with a huff, you began moving once more.
Moving it into the large windows that welcomed the sharp rays of the sun with open arms. Only a few, sure, but they were strong enough and managed to bleed through the blanket of clouds outside.
There should be enough sunlight for it to grow. And now, with water and some fertiliser, it should bear fruit in about a few…
…
You couldn’t really remember.
Wait, should you be even using fertiliser…?
Nevertheless, you stood back and admired your work.
But instead of feeling pride, all you thought about was how the leaves and branches were long enough to press up against the walls and the curtains, despite how much distance you worked to put in between them.
And exhausted was too tame a word to describe what you felt.
It shouldn’t be too much of an issue, the optimistic side of you thought… unless the main branch grows long enough to hit the ceiling.
‘Are you sure there’s enough space?’
Yu asked curiously, earning that same vacant look from you.
Though he couldn’t see it since he stood behind you, he knew you long enough to the point that he could sense it through the heavy air.
Ugh.
“I’ll make space.”
You said between gritted teeth, annoyed at your inability to push away his words.
Maybe he was the optimistic side of you, sitting in your brain like an annoying wasp that would sting you randomly.
‘You should look into getting a bigger spot.’
“Not everyone has a lush house all for themselves, Yu–”
You turned to angrily face him, but the only thing your eyes landed on were the drab grey walls of your apartment.
Right. Yu wasn’t here. He was gone.
Why did you remember what he used to say? You thought as you nervously faced the plant once more, filling in the empty spots with the surrounding piles of soil.
Maybe it’s because he always stuck to you like a row of ducklings to their mother.
Or… you just really missed him. And you wanted to apologise for that burst of anger, even though his presence was just a distant memory.
Ugh, whatever.
You forgot about him and your parents while you were moving the pot and the plant. Unfortunately, that short-lived moment of peace immediately faltered once you were done, and you were back to the miserable prison you called a ‘mind’.
Maybe this is what happens when you try to get out of your comfort zone. When you try to do something other than lay in bed or mindlessly take customers’ orders like a bloody zombie.
A huff escaped you, and you left to wash your hands.
You need to get back to bed pronto. This gardening rubbish wasn’t healthy for you anymore.
❤ฺ·。
Winter, two and a half years ago.
You spent eight hours awake today. But they weren’t really productive by your standards.
Six spent in bed, and two on the couch with Yu’s fingers intertwined with yours. His thumb had been outlining the lines on your palm for so long, it felt like he started digging into your skin.
Today was a workday, not a weekday. And neither of you made it to the café for, admittedly, no solid reason.
For you, anyway. Your boyfriend probably found a good way to put what happened into words given his impressive eloquence.
Yu waited outside for you by the gate like every other morning. Despite the thicker clothes he wore for today, the temperature still seemed to take its effect on him.
Nevertheless, he ignored the lingering cold of the blizzard that had occurred yesterday in favour of accompanying you.
But you didn’t show up.
Which was… weird, to say the least.
You didn’t mention anything about taking the day off today, and Ying didn’t send him any texts either, so…
He waited and waited. Then, he took out his phone and decided to call you. Once, twice, three times…
No answer.
Then, he sent a few texts. But still, there was naught of a response from you despite how long he had been standing outside.
The cold began stinging the exposed skin of his cheeks and fingers. It felt like pins and needles plunged into him, but in this moment, such discomfort felt frivolous to think about.
The clock struck eight, but you were still nowhere to be seen.
And despite the state of your mental health, the contingency of you being late for work was one silly to even consider. So, what on earth was going on?
“What’s the wait for, son? It’s getting cold out here.”
A gravelly voice snapped him from the terror that had been building up, and he looked up to see the security guard standing on the other side of the gate.
A cigarette was hung from his lips, the smoke billowing from it complementing the vapour from his mouth as he spoke.
Though they’d never once had a conversation, only throwing glances at each other whenever he’d pass by, waiting outside your complex rendered them both used to the other by now.
Wait, that’s right, Yu thought. He was the security guard.
“Oh, I was just…” he pocketed his phone, “did you see Y/N this morning?”
He took a drag of his cigarette, before leaning on the black gates.
“Nope. Didn’t leave her apartment since yesterday.”
Yu’s heart dropped, and his face blanched.
This worried him. This really worried him.
What happened to you? Were you hurt? Did you even wake up today?!
What if you…
“What about the cameras?”
The guard shook his head.
“I– I need–” he caught himself and quickly fixed his collar, “thank you, sir. I’ll go check on her.”
His mind wandered to the worst places as pushed past the gates and climbed up the flight of stairs.
The guard himself hadn’t seen you since last night, and your lack of presence from the footage only made him assume the worst of the worst.
And before he could assume anything else, his mind shut itself down and resorted to taking action, blocking any thoughts from forming thanks to the adrenaline that overtook his blood.
He rushed to your apartment with a spare key you gave him a while ago, brute forcing his way in as fast as possible.
But all within a picosecond, relief filled him at the sight he managed to take in.
He was beyond grateful to find out you were just in bed. Lying down, unmoving, still like a statue.
The only hint of life being the subtle rise and fall of your chest.
Not that you overslept, or anything, your eyes were open. You just couldn’t move, for some reason.
You blinked, your eyes adjusting to the void of black that sat a few feet away from you. It took a few minutes to realise it was just the television, turned off, showing you your still reflection.
Sitting up, you took a deep yet slow breath, allowing your stiff muscles to finally stretch.
“I’m sorry for acting like this, Yu. I'm sorry you… missed your shift because of me.”
Though you kept your gaze on the television, you still managed to catch his meek reaction, using the large upstanding collars of his hoodie to conceal the lower portion of his face.
…
“Don’t… worry about it.”
He muttered after a pause.
Judging by the blank look on his face, glassy eyes locked on a random spot on the wall, he still seemed… shocked by the whole ordeal. To put it lightly.
And with the purple irises, the surprise stuck out even more, his pupils pinpoint like two distant bullets aimed at you.
You brought yourself closer and pulled him into a weak embrace, sighing deeply.
To say guilt enfolded you like a whirlwind would be a vast understatement. And you weren’t really sure how to express it, or how to make it up to him.
You knew that, despite how much of his personal life he kept from you, and despite how stiff his voice was, Yu was still emotionally sensitive. Incredibly sensitive, to a degree someone stoic like you wouldn’t be able to understand.
And you weren’t sure how not to let something like this happen again, how not to provoke a level of shock you probably hadn’t experienced in a while.
But it only took a few minutes for an idea to pop up in your mind.
It wasn’t much, but you’d rather do something.
“Are you visiting your grandmother this month?”
Yu blinked.
It took him a few seconds to comprehend that you’d asked him a question, let alone form a response to it.
Was he visiting his…
Oh, right.
“I am.” He met your gaze. “Why?”
“Hang on, I have something that’ll cheer you up.”
Yu watched you stand up and disappear into your room, and such a sudden move was successful in dragging him back down to reality.
He thought that you were going to take something from your closet, but the unfamiliar sound of the heavy balcony door swinging open promptly slamming shut made him perk up like a curious cat.
Was he finally going to see what you kept on the balcony? Satiate the unstoppable force that was his curiosity, perhaps.
The seconds were counted until you finally made your return. And in your hand was something he never would’ve expected.
A lemon. Albeit… small. And round.
Yu stared at the golden object on your hand, effortlessly reflecting the sunlight off of it, almost as if to show off how pretty it was to Yu.
He stood up and approached, taking it from your hand.
His thumb felt it. And judging by the soft texture, a slight tint of orange in its peel, the ever-so subtle squishiness of it; it was perfect.
But that wasn't what took priority in his mind.
“Why do– did you, uh, are there lemons on your balcony, Y/N?”
You couldn’t help but smile at his confusion.
Either he was extremely excited at that contingency being true, or he was very dumbfounded. Or, you know, both.
Which was understandable, somewhat.
“I keep a lemon tree outside. Doesn’t fit here.”
His eyes glimmered, but the rest of his face remained blank.
Yu was delighted at this news. In fact, it answered his question as to why there was a leaf still stuck to its pedicel.
“You have… You grow lemons? In here?”
“Did you think I only grew houseplants?”
You gestured to the plant from before, and to say he was simply enamoured by this new piece of information would be a vast understatement.
If it were any other person, Yu wouldn’t have believed them. And it’s not like he was to be blamed.
When he put it that way, it sounded preposterous. Growing not only lemons in the winter, but in a cramped apartment, no less. How did you achieve such a thing?!
He looked back at the fruit on his hand.
“This one looks… different.”
You took the lemon from him before his unrelenting inspection would tear the fragile skin open.
“It’s a Meyer lemon, Yu. Quite the small tree. Now come on, I’m going to make a pie with this. There's a bunch more out there, help me harvest them.”
Then, you turned on your heel and moved towards the balcony where you’d just been.
His admiration for you only grew at that sentence. And eagerly, he followed, ready to shamelessly indulge in his lemon addiction.
He was excited. So excited, the events that took place an hour ago felt like they never happened at all.
“Meyer lemon?”
He asked as he followed you to your room. Immediately, he glanced at the windows that would give him a view to your balcony, but they were still concealed by your curtains.
And out of respect, he never really dared to peer through them even after you gave him permission to.
“You’ll see.”
You moved towards the balcony and opened the door, Yu tugging on his sleeves so that they’d cover his hands before the air would slam against his skin like a brick.
Both of you stepped out, the cold hitting him hardly making a dent in how amazed he was at the sight.
To his right was a string of pots containing pretty trees he’d never seen before,
The deep green shade of the leaves contrasted beautifully with the vibrant gold of the fruit, hanging from the branches, almost as if they were eager to be plucked and made into some sort of dessert.
“I wanted to surprise you with a lemon pound cake. But that was before… today.”
You mumbled to yourself as you approached what Yu considered to be a work of art. In fact, how casual you were to this sight only increased his respect for you.
You grew this, he thought. All behind his back, in a small apartment, alone. How could he not be amazed?!
If this was what you could do with depression, he could only imagine how much you’d achieve if you had motivation.
“It’s a cross between lemon and mandarin.”
He eyed you as you plucked one ripe lemon before tossing it over to him. But you immediately regretted it once you realised he was currently in a state of reverie.
However, to your surprise, he caught it impressively fast and began observing it all over again, holding back the urge to bite into it.
Not that he wasn’t used to the raw taste of lemons.
“I see. So like a… subspecies?”
You couldn’t help but giggle at this sentence.
How was that the conclusion he came to? You thought. But to be fair… it was on brand for him.
“I thought lemons were your favourite fruit. How do you not know this?”
The fact that they originated from China as well.
“I never studied lemons. I only purchase what I think will help.”
“Help?”
Before you could utter this simple question, Yu suddenly pulled you into a hug, tightly wrapping his arms around you.
“You’re amazing, Y/N. My grandma will love you even more when I tell her about this.”
You were unwittingly slammed cheek-first into his chest, and the sensation was as pleasant as crashing against a brick wall.
Right, Yu probably forgot what kind of figure he had.
“Oh I… Thank you.”
A smile painted your features, and you returned the embrace despite the aching on your cheekbone.
Relief filled you.
Sure, you had to show him the surprise early, and you weren’t really satisfied with just showing him the row of trees you planted two winters ago, but after today? You were glad you made it up to him.
What mattered was that this cursed day would hopefully end on a good note.
And the fact that his grandmother would like you if she learned of this hobby? It stood out.
Hey, maybe things were finally looking up, you thought.
#valorant#valorant fanfiction#valorant x reader#valorant x f reader#valorant x female reader#iso x reader#iso x f reader#valorant iso#iso#valorant fluff#valorant angst#iso x you#valorant sage#sage#valorant x you#valorant iso x reader#angst#fluff#li zhao yu#wei ling ying#iso x y/n#valorant iso x you#valorant iso x y/n#valorant headcanons#iso headcanons
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OMG it's so FEMININE it's so CUTE it's so GIRLYPOP
Will Riot finally bestow upon us an agent that says stuff like 'yass queen' and 'slay' and talks like Courtney Babcock??? I hope so.
#valorant#this might be too much wish fulfillment#but hush#let me spend a lil more time in la la land
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Navigation!!
Welcome, welcome! Finally got around to making one of these!!
My name is Beatrice (or Bea) and welcome to my safe haven where heavily simping for Valorant men is NOT considered bounds for an intervention!!
All of my fics are SFW and contain minimal to no cussing. So if that's up your alley, feel free to make yourself at home!
I try to update weekly unless life gets in the way. Which also happens weekly. So, sporadic updates!
Also please don't copy or steal my work and pass it off as your own! If you'd like to use one of my headcanons or something, I'd love it if you tagged or asked. Encourage creativity but not theft!!!
Introduction!
Masterlist!
ISO
One Hazy Winter (Ongoing!)
[ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 ]
YORU
ぐちゃ ! (Splat!) (Complete!)
[ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 4.5 / Part 5 / Part 6 ]
CHAMBER
Beau Idéal (Somewhat complete!)
[ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 ]
GEKKO
Chapter 1: Trouble in paradise! (Complete!)
[ Part 1 ]
Chapter 2: Weekend together! (Somewhat complete!)
[ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 ]
REQUESTS
Surprise! (Complete!)
[ Part 1 ]
Jollz/Joshseki x F!Reader (Complete!)
[ Part 1 ]
That's pretty much it for now, I'll add more when I can. Thanks for reading!! ❤ฺ·。
#yoru x reader#iso x reader#chamber x reader#fanfiction#gekko x reader#valorant oneshots#valorant fanfiction#masterlist#introductory post#valorant x reader#female reader#f reader#navigation#valorant x you#valorant yoru x reader#valorant iso x reader#valorant chamber x reader#valorant gekko x reader#x reader#iso#gekko#yoru#chamber#valorant iso#valorant gekko#valorant yoru#valorant chamber#valorant f reader#valorant female reader
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One Hazy Winter [Iso x F! Reader] [1]
[ Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 ]
Genre: Angst, fluff
TW: Depression and implied suicidal thoughts (I swear it’s not all sad haha)
Words: 4k
Synopsis: One winter before his disappearance, you told your boyfriend Yu about a question you’ve had for so long; one even he could hardly respond to.
It took many more hopeless winters for you to finally have your answer.
NOTES: 'Tis the season! Ha, I rushed to get this out before Christmas was over. Christmas is still going, right? Happy holidays!!
Anyway, this story is HEAVILY reliant on flashbacks and the past in general, so keep that in mind. Have a good read!
。+❤ฺ·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ· +❤·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ·
Winter, one year ago.
If there was one thing you loathed with every inch of your being, it would be the winter season.
It was a season that was associated with only despair and heavily encouraged death. Both physically and mentally.
The death of plants, the death of animals, the death of people, just death in general.
And you hated it.
You hated the overwhelming feeling of melancholy that would loom over you whenever snow would fall.
Your arms rested on the ice cold metal railing that overlooked a mystifying lake, one that had gotten frozen over the past week.
The thick sleeves of your hoodie blocked the freezing temperatures like dutiful guards surrounding a castle. This comfort, however, felt like a miniscule droplet in the ocean of despondency you felt.
A tired sigh escaped you. And like a furious dragon, a vapour of pure white billowed from your lips.
“Disgusting.”
You muttered under your breath whilst you looked at the ice.
In the distance, you heard something crack, and it took you only a few seconds to spot where it was on the icy surface of the lake.
“Look on the bright side, at least.”
Yu, your boyfriend, piped up from your right.
He rested on the railing just as you did, with his jacket protecting him. But his upright posture and bright purple eyes conveyed something you didn’t: joy.
“Like what?”
“Look around you, observe the snow.”
He pointed to the blankets of snow that surrounded the forest around the bridge, each snowflake collectively gathered to envelop every tree your eyes laid on. Like a mother huddled with her children on a cold night.
To him, the landscape looked like a stunning painting, one meticulously slaved over by an artist who desired perfection over all else.
“Isn’t it breathtaking?”
Maybe to him. But to you?
All you saw were dead trees, shells of the beautiful bearers of fruit and life they once were.
That wasn’t to mention the corpses of animals buried under the feet of snow he was so enamoured by.
You rested your head on your arms in silence.
“It’s winter.”
Two words. Curt, but enough to summarise the maelstrom of thoughts that roamed your mind.
And it’s not like he didn’t know, either. He did, which was why, despite his optimism, he also started dreading this season once you both started dating nearly five winters ago.
Yu placed one hand on your shoulder, the wooden planks under him loudly creaking as he stepped closer to you.
Then, he wrapped his arm around you and pulled you closer, the warmth from his body counteracting the one from the railings.
“I understand.”
For a moment, that was all he could say.
“But… Y/N, you shouldn’t think about them every single day.”
You shut your eyes and took in a deep, slow breath, allowing the cold air to be warmed on the way to your lungs.
As much as he denied it, and as stiff as his face was, Yu was incredibly expressive. Whenever he’d try to conceal how he felt, his body language simply betrayed him at every turn.
He meant well, both of you knew that. Especially you. But Yu wasn’t exactly the best when it came to dealing with things like… this.
“It’s difficult to get over them, Yu. It feels impossible.”
Since Yu’s hands were gloved the whole way here, the slightly cold temperature of it didn’t bother you as much once his fingers intertwined with yours.
Add on to the fact your hands were in your pockets, the warmth immediately cooled him down as he began gently outlining the lines on your palm with his thumb.
You lost your parents in one hazy winter.
And every one after that would be a depressing reminder of that fact.
“Every winter, I ask myself why I should keep going.”
He paused.
“What’s waiting for us at the end? Some silly award for putting up with this?”
“Don’t say that. There’s more to life than baseless questions like that.”
The white tint of the snow was bright. So bright, it began piercing your eyes, and you were forced to close them for a hint of relief.
“What do you think?”
You flipped the question on him, your words cutting through his benevolence like acid through a rotting cadaver.
Silence settled for a moment. Between it and the blankets of snow that surrounded you, you could hear Yu’s very pulse echo with each passing second.
That, and how his lips parted. But for a moment, no words left his mouth, and he stayed quiet.
“I… I don’t know.” He turned away. “I’m sorry. I don’t think about things like this.”
It figures, you thought.
Nevertheless, he began outlining the lines on your palm all over again, and the sound of the shuffling in your pocket as he did this started to stick out to you.
A few rapid clicks caught your attention. And once you lifted your head, you noticed a peculiar sight.
A bird had landed on the lake’s icy surface. Though it was a few dozen feet away from you, somehow, It felt as if all the sound waves were channelled in one direction just to reach you, and you could see it with clarity that would rival a telescope.
With each step, you heard a loud click. And each time it pecked at the ice under it, you heard a little pick that accompanied it.
You wanted to ask why there was a bird here. Around this time, they’d usually disappear and leave the grey sky more dreary and lifeless than it ever could be.
So… why?
You diligently watched it stretch its stunning wings, shades of blue reflecting off of the sunlight and complementing each other. Somehow, it spawned various new shades on its wings.
Like ballet dancers, the colours played off each other's movements gracefully.
You lifted a hand and pointed at the bird.
“It looks just like you.”
Yu stopped to get a glance at what you were looking at. Then, he chuckled.
“You think every bird looks like me, Y/N.”
“I...”
Your words were interrupted once the bird’s feathers reached outwards. For a moment, it puffed and formed a fluffy ball of white, blue and black, before it rapidly shook its head and relaxed all over again.
“There. Did you see that?”
“See what?”
“It puffed up.” You met his gaze. “It looked just like you whenever you’d wake up.”
Even on the hottest days of summer, Yu would have at least three blankets wrapped around him whilst he slept. That wasn’t to mention how messy his hair would be whenever you had the pleasure of catching him in this way.
Yu grinned, pulling you closer as you both watched the bird for a few seconds.
A few short-lived seconds, until it flew away and disappeared into the clouds, cutting the enjoyable moment short.
But before melancholy would dare set in once more, Yu immediately turned to meet your gaze, his purple eyes glimmering under the bright winter sky.
Just like the bird’s wings, the colours mixed with each other in a captivating manner.
“How about we go home and watch a movie? I’ll even make you hot chocolate. What do you say?”
“Movie?”
A moment of silence settled.
But just as Yu thought he failed in his endeavour to cheer you up, all of his doubts evaporate once he saw a smile form.
The sensation of such a move, though weak, still felt foreign to your face.
“Can we take the movie out of the equation?”
…
“Definitely.”
Before another word could be uttered, he suddenly pulled you much closer, trapping you in a warm embrace.
And you couldn’t help but grin at such an unexpected yet sweet move.
“Yu, we’re in public.”
“You don’t know how much I missed your smile, Y/N.”
“Be reasonable. It couldn’t have been that long.”
You said, your words muffled as he had your face pressed up against the inside of his jacket.
Your arms were wrapped around him to allow the heat to pass on over to you.
“It has.” He muttered. “Longer than you think.”
The pleasant fragrance of lemons entered your nostrils. Familiar, especially since it was the only type of musk Yu ever sought after.
Other than yours, of course.
❤ฺ·。
Winter, present day.
You hadn’t seen or spoken to Yu once the week after that conversation. He didn’t answer his phone, and, like you, none of his acquaintances knew where he went.
Even with the police alerted, he was still legally considered missing.
On your way to work that dreadful morning, you’ve had your eyes stuck on your phone the whole time you walked down that repetitive path.
You were calling Yu for the umpteenth time in hopes that he’d miraculously answer. But just as expected, your call was sent to voicemail again.
He was gone.
And you didn’t shed a tear. Not that you didn’t care, quite the contrary, in fact.
You lost a ton of people. He was just another added to the list.
With a deep sigh, you pocketed your phone and looked up at the sky, a group of clouds concealing its previously blue colour thanks to the season.
White and pale, just like bones.
Your fingers wrapped around the cold golden handle. And with one swift push accompanied by a cheerful ding of the bell above you, you’d entered the café you worked at.
The warmth hit you like a slap in the face once you’d fully entered the café. The boring music inside, and not to mention the decor you were borderline sick of seeing every day.
Your boss, Ying, and another one of your co-workers were chatting behind the counter. But your entrance immediately halted the conversation and shifted their attention towards you.
“There you are! I was getting worried.”
“Hi.”
Ying earned a boring greeting from you. Just like every other day.
And just as you turned back to the counter, you were suddenly pulled into a tight hug.
“Y/N, how have you been? Here– would you like me to make you something?”
She pulled away and held your shoulders in hopes of catching a change in your expression this time, but there was naught.
Ying, despite being your boss, had been treating you like her daughter for the longest time. And with Yu’s disappearance, her treatment was laced with worry and an overwhelming desire to tend to your needs.
But every time, she’d earn the same response accompanied by the same vacant look on your face.
“I’d like to clock in.”
“Would you like to take the day off instead? Take a moment to catch yourself?”
Though you had no circles under your eyes or any other noticeable blotches, she still noted the subtle gaunt look on your face. Pale, lifeless skin, and that wasn’t to mention the dull heaviness in your pitch black irises.
A massive contrast to Yu, whose very presence brought life to any location lucky enough to bear his presence.
You shook your head.
A sigh escaped her and her gaze turned to the ground for a moment.
Then, an idea popped up.
“How about some passion fruit juice? We still have some in stock from yesterday.”
Ying said with that kind smile as she looked back up at you. It almost widened to a full-blown grin once your lids slightly lifted at this random offer.
Passion fruit was your favourite. And she remembered, even though you mentioned it offhandedly many winters ago.
You still shook your head.
“I’m not too fond of the artificial flavour.” You held her wrists and put her hands down. “Thank you, nonetheless.”
It took you only two seconds to walk away from Ying’s benevolent aura and move behind the counter where the sickening one lay.
The very creaks of the floorboards and the ticking of the machines churned your stomach.
“I’m leaving. You need any help in here?”
Your co-worker exclaimed, earning the same response you gave Ying twice.
And with that, he immediately tossed the towel on the counter and walked out, leaving your boss in the awkward position of asking the same question.
“Y/N?”
“I’ll be okay.”
Juxtaposed to the loud slam emitted from the door once your co-worker left, as if to announce his departure, for Ying, it was a gentle woosh of the wind, followed by a click once she’d closed the wooden door.
You didn’t even realise she left until you lazily glanced at the exit for a moment, then turned to the task at hand.
You grabbed the towel and began wiping the counters.
The hum of the refrigerators around you remained as the only thing that broke the heavy silence that encapsulated the small café.
Everyday was the same routine.
Wake up, go to work, go home and wait for sleep. At this point, the only thing amiss today was Ying’s offer to make you passion fruit juice.
A delightful offer, but the juice here was artificial sugar. If anyone would know that, it was you.
You jumped once you felt a hand on your shoulder, looking over to see Ying.
“Oh, Ying, I– I assumed you left.”
“No, I merely closed the door.”
Your pupils dilated as you took in her soft features once more.
But before you could allow this conversation to blossom, you turned away and continued wiping the counters.
“Y/N, are you okay?”
“What makes you think otherwise?”
“Every day, you look more and more like a zombie. I… I cannot help but worry every second you’re not with me.”
With a loud clunk, you set down one of the cups on the marble counter and stared at the wet towel in your hand, its temperature combining with the one around you to freeze your bare hand.
But that didn’t matter to you. There was only one thing that caught your eye; its colour.
Purple.
A deep sigh escaped you, but you didn’t dare lift your chin to look at your boss.
“When are we opening?”
Ying held herself and watched you continue working.
“Please, just speak to me. I fear the day you won’t walk through that door, and I feel as though it’s coming very soon.”
“Enough with the fear mongering. I just don’t want to talk, okay? I don’t even want to look at you.”
She opened her mouth, but the words were lodged in her throat.
Clearly, though those words escaped you without second thought, Ying was still taken by surprise.
You needed to act fast.
“Everything reminds me of them, Ying. And you remind me of him now. More than ever.”
“I… I understand. What you’re going through is horrible, nobody deserves to experience anything like this. But, Y/N, please,” she cupped your cheeks in her hands, “I don’t want to lose you, too.”
You were forced to look up at the tall woman to even meet her gaze. And that, you hated.
You hated how her features somewhat matched Yu’s. The more you scrutinised her, the more similarities you found.
Their nose, lips, their height, and the way their silky black hair framed their face.
Hell, even their soft voices matched.
“You haven’t eaten breakfast today, have you?”
Her amiable voice suddenly took on an incredibly stern tone, one alien to someone like her.
And to say you were caught off-guard would be a massive understatement.
“Pardon?”
“You’re pale. Your blood pressure is low.”
“Pressure…?”
You watched Ying immediately pull away and rush towards the fridge, a gust of cold air hitting you like a whip.
On another note, it was winter. Why the hell was the fridge still on?
“Ah, I meant sugar, Your blood sugar. We need to get you something to drink!”
You eyed the passion fruit juice she took out of the fridge, golden fluid swirling inside in a hypnotising manner. And with a slam of the fridge’s door, its movements grew more rapid and dramatic.
Then, you met her gaze with a vacant expression.
“Ying, I’m fine.”
"For the love of God, please accept some help and get your sugar back up. Just this once, at least!"
She desperately held out the juice for you.
And, although you were incredibly reluctant, you gave in and grabbed it from her.
“Fine, but if I’m going to drink juice, I might as well make it myself.”
Ying’s eyes bore into yours whilst you twisted the green plastic cap. Then, a particularly contagious smile lifted her pink lips.
That statement must’ve evoked something within her.
“Do you still remember how?”
“What? Of course I do–”
“Wonderful! Then I’ll take out everything you need.”
She lit up and trotted over to a nearby counter, her large black ponytail swaying with each step.
Ying immediately bent down and took out a few dusty slick grey boxes from inside, but your eyes were only focused on the dust that fell to the ground with every box she took out.
A mess you’d have to mop up.
Nevertheless, you took a sip and immediately grimaced at the unnatural flavour.
“I bought a container of passion fruit yesterday, but I was afraid you’d be offended had I asked you to make some again.”
"Why would I be offended by that?"
With a huff and a loud thud, she slid out the blender’s box onto the ground. Then, she fixed her posture and grabbed it on both sides, ready to lift it.
“I did not wish to pressure you into making this again. I understand your circumstances, however…” she lifted the box and set it on the counter, meeting your gaze with a smile, “your products are very addictive!”
You took another sip in silence and set the drink next to the cash register, before moving to the fridge to take out the container of passion fruit.
“Do you need any help with those?”
You shook your head and took out a spoon and a bowl.
It didn’t take long for her to catch on to what you were trying to do, clasping her hands together nervously.
“Are you going to wash and scoop all those seeds? Alone?”
“Are there people outside?”
She glanced at the wooden double doors.
If the massive windows on the walls weren’t enough, the doors allowed an even wider view of the sidewalk outside.
Thankfully, the snow didn’t obscure much of her vision, either.
“Ah… No, not quite. This morning is as idle as the others.”
“Then I’ll do it.”
She smiled and nodded.
“I admire your patience.”
That was all she said before she turned to unbox the blender. Thankfully, she let the silence in the air settle and allowed you to work alone.
At this point, the conversation already grew exhausting enough. You couldn’t be bothered to say another word.
❤ฺ·。
Winter, three years ago.
At first, it started out a chivalrous act.
One day, Yu, your co-worker at the time, randomly offered to escort you to and back from work with a peculiarly red set of cheeks.
You said yes. Not that you needed the protection. And quite frankly, looking back, it was clearly a thin veiled attempt for him to get close to you; but you still entertained the offer and walked with him.
It quickly became a day to day thing.
First, you’d see him by the gates every morning and head to the café.
Afterwards, once you both went back, you’d part ways at said gate. He’d go to the bus to return to his house, and you’d go up to your apartment.
But after you started dating, he started sleeping over. Then, he began spending more time in your cramped home instead of his lavish abode.
Then… Well, to say he simply ‘took over’ would be an understatement.
Once the both of you had arrived at the entrance that would lead to your dwelling, you took off the earbud and handed it back to Yu, promptly pushing the thick door to your apartment open.
Back then, whenever you’d enter, the gust of air that enfolded you used to have a… melancholic feel to it.
Now, it was anything but.
“Every day you visit, this place looks less and less like the house I live in.”
You randomly commented, not bothering to glance at him as you spoke.
An audible creak echoed through the small area. Then, with a loud flick, the lights switched open and allowed the comfort of familiarity to finally envelope each of you.
“How do you mean?”
“Look around. Look at what you’ve done to my home.”
You haphazardly gestured around you whilst turning on more lights.
And it was only after a moment of confused silence did he finally respond to your comment.
“I’m not following.”
You turned around, and both of your eyes bore into each others’. Judging by the blank expression he carried, he truly looked lost.
So… you’d show him.
You held his hand and guided him down the entrance hall towards the living room, and pointed at the couch that faced the television mounted on the wall.
Just looking at it proved your point, seeing how it was covered with blankets.
“Two blankets,” you then pointed at the armchair on the corner where another one sat, “three,” the other armchair, “four,” the heaters, “and five.”
You turned to face him with crossed arms.
“And the three on my bed.”
By the time you finished pointing everything out, both of you had stopped at the doorway that led to the corridor. He knew by the way you pursed your lips; you definitely weren’t done yet.
You took a deep inhale, finally taking in the air that lingered around you like a lovesick ex.
“It smells like the inside of a lemon, as well.”
Yu smiled politely once you had finalised your sentiment.
Sure, your tone was dry, but he wasn’t insulted. In fact, judging by his upright posture, he seemed quite proud of how he unwittingly changed up the place.
“I... hear you. On another note, it's been three years and I still haven’t gotten to the balcony yet.”
You raised an eyebrow.
He just couldn’t be subtle even if his life depended on it.
“I’m not giving you the keys to the balcony, Yu.”
“Just a peek?”
You turned away and began taking off the heavy jacket you wore, earning a particularly endearing huff from him.
The shadows on the ground let you know he crossed his arms and turned his gaze away to the living room.
Probably eyeing the blankets on the couch you pointed out just a few minutes ago.
He muttered something under his breath. But before you could ask him what it was, he immediately moved over to the couch.
Huh. Your hypothesis was correct.
Not paying him any mind, you began slipping off your boots and taking off the hair tie that started to give you a headache.
Then, your eyes widened once you heard a distant spray.
You immediately turned around.
“Yu, we don’t need anymore–”
The words were lodged in your throat once you realised he wasn’t spraying the room with his lemon mister again. He wasn’t doing that at all, no.
Instead, he was misting the potted plant set in the corner of the living room.
Holes lay in the edges of its dull leaves. And thanks to the weak sunlight that bled through the windows, you could see that the soil was dangerously dry, as well.
You stepped up solemnly, watching him mist it.
“How long has it been since you last watered this?”
Judging by the curious tone, you knew that he wasn’t mocking you. He just wasn’t as knowledgeable as you were when it came to plants.
You nervously clenched your fists and turned your gaze away, eyes landing on the dark vinyl flooring.
“I… must have forgotten about it.”
Of course you did.
It was a miracle you even slipped out of bed every morning, let alone take care of something like this.
A gentle pat on your shoulder snapped you out of your maelstrom of thoughts, and you hesitantly looked up to meet his gentle gaze.
“That’s okay. You were busy.” He chuckled. “It’s probably why the smell of lemons is so strong, right?”
You playfully flicked his forehead with a vacant expression, before grabbing the mister from his hands and aiming it at the plant.
That’s one incentive for you to take care of the plant, that’s for sure. Oh, but you’d never tell him that.
Nevertheless, you continued misting. And spraying water on it felt so… weird.
But also relieving.
#valorant#valorant fanfiction#valorant x reader#valorant x f reader#valorant x female reader#iso x reader#iso x f reader#valorant iso#iso#valorant fluff#valorant angst#iso x you#valorant sage#sage#valorant x you#valorant iso x reader#angst#fluff#li zhao yu#wei ling ying#PS i don't know how chinese names work#don't kill me#iso x y/n#valorant iso x you#valorant iso x y/n#valorant headcanons#iso headcanons
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ぐちゃ ! (Splat!) [Yoru x F! Reader] [End]
Heya! Guess who's officially done with Yoru? That's right, this gal!
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go binge watch Iso's trailer again as a rewar– I mean, to get a feel for his personality, if you catch my drift hehe
Catch you next week! And this time I won't be late!!
❤ฺ·。
Yoru x F! Reader
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 4.5 / Part 5 / Part 6
Genre: Fluff, some angst
TW: Detailed violence
Words: 6k
Synopsis: Hapless doesn't even begin to describe you. With your life flipped upside down within the span of a day; you're left to rely on your best friend Tala to help you pick up the pieces and build the new one forced upon you.
And this 'luck' seems to have caught the attention of one of her friends.
。+❤ฺ·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ· +❤·。❤ฺ·。+❤ฺ·
To say today had a good start would be a vast understatement.
You woke up feeling untouchable, as if even a bullet wouldn’t be able to take away the triumphant aura you exuded around everyone on your way to responsibly prepare for the mission.
You were smiling ear to ear in the training range; gunning down bots like a particularly happy paperboy delivering the newspapers.
Neon definitely felt that something was off. But it wasn’t the fact that you weren’t an anxiety-ridden mess, no. What concerned her was how good your aim was, and especially how calm you were with how you wielded your weapon.
It was contagious.
She stood next to you and crossed her arms, speaking loudly to counteract how deafening the shots were.
“Someone’s happy today.”
You shrugged and continued shooting.
“It’s just a good day, you know? Clear weather, chill vibes and everything.”
Neon raised an eyebrow.
With the upcoming mission, she herself was prepared to reassure you on how things would go as smoothly as they did last time. But this?
This attitude was as natural as catching sight of a flying pig.
“Alright, lay it all out, A/N. You were gone all day yesterday.”
She forced a blush out of you with just those words, and prompted you to stop shooting for a moment.
There was no reason for you not to tell her. Well, except for one…
“It’s not like you’d believe me.”
“Don’t be like that, when have I ever doubted you?”
She said with one hand on your shoulder, completely confident in her words. And you could make an entire list in response to that.
A sigh escaped you before you finally managed to meet her gaze.
“Fine. I may or may not have gone out with Yoru yesterday.”
Neon paused for a moment. Then, she snickered, as if you told her you’d won the lottery.
“Be honest. I’ll be impressed with whatever it really is.”
“I’m not joking, Neon!”
“No way, Yoru doesn’t go out with people two consecutive days in a row, I tried!”
Sounds like something she’d do, alright.
Just as you went to throw a snarky response at her, you jumped once she gasped in the most diva way possible and forcefully tilted your Bulldog upwards.
There, she saw it.
“What is this?”
Neon called out as if she spotted a bomb. In fact, she scared you, until you realised she was pointing at your prized gift from the day before.
She tilted the gun to get a better angle and held the omamori in her hand to make sure it was what she thought it was.
“There’s no way– is that from Yoru?!”
You flushed and pulled it away, swiftly turning on the safety considering how stupid of a move this was.
“I told you, dummy!”
“I didn’t think– did he give that to you or did you sneak into a shrine? There’s no way you got that, right?”
You allowed her to take your gun to inspect it. And with just a few touches, she confirmed that it was an omamori only he’d get.
“I’m serious, he gave it to me!”
“How?! I've known him for months and I can barely get a text back sometimes!”
Which is why you couldn’t wait until the mission to finally not have something go wrong for once.
Nevertheless, you innocently shrugged and tucked a lock of your hair behind your ear in the most smug manner possible.
“Oh, well, you know. I guess some of us are naturally irresistible.”
“What-ever.”
Neon crossed her arms and pouted for a moment. But then, she met your gaze with a devious glimmer in her eyes once a brand new idea popped up.
Uh oh.
“Sooo… did he cook you something this morning? Anything delicious for breakfast?”
“I woke up late.”
She clicked her tongue, before getting back to the main task at hand.
“Okay fine. When he does, which he will, you wouldn’t mind, you know… sneaking some for your best friend, right?”
You couldn’t hold back the giggle that escaped you.
Of course Neon would request something preposterous like this. Why wouldn’t she?
“Ease up, Neon. Too early. We’re still just friends, remember?”
“We’re almost a month in and you still don’t know how Yoru’s world works? If he feeds you, he’s basically proposing!”
You definitely knew, but you weren’t about to admit that.
She began shooting with your Bulldog as each of you spoke, almost as if to emphasise the fact you had an omamori tied to the gun.
“That’s a reach.”
“Why’s that? It’s not like you’d say no if he does.”
“Pshh. As if you know that.”
Neon tossed your Bulldog back to you, before grabbing your wrist and forcing you to get a good look at the roots.
Only now did you notice how organised and easy-to-digest they were, as if they were sets upon sets of cables that unwrapped from each other.
No wonder why it felt like your arm was easier to have.
“This wasn’t here before!”
Your eyes widened as you took the sight in. And for once, it looked organised.
“Wait– when the hell did this happen?”
“You didn’t notice this?!”
You flushed and pulled away as Neon laughed. But since you were a simple tee, you couldn’t really cover up your arm.
Before she could somehow sneak in one more snarky remark about how unfocused you were, the door to the training range loudly slid open and caught both of your attention. Your eyes promptly darted to the entrance.
The strong light from behind shone upon a silhouette that took you a moment to recognise.
But if the imposingly tall stature didn’t help with that, his voice surely did.
“Excusez-moi, not to interrupt a pleasant conversation, but we have to leave.”
<Excuse me,>
Chamber called out, earning a sneer from Neon. One that you unfortunately didn’t see.
“Leave? Wait, what time is it?”
“One.”
Your eyes widened.
“Crap. Okay, talk later Neon! Don’t forget to wait for me until I’m back!”
You quickly reloaded your Bulldog and rushed towards him. Neon excitedly waved as you moved through the doorway with the same grin on her face.
“I’ll be waiting, break a leg out there!”
She said, earning a nod before you disappeared down the hallways.
With Yoru’s omamori in hand, you thought, you hoped it wouldn’t be your leg that would break.
You moved down the halls with Chamber by your side, inspecting your weapon one final time.
“Man, time flew by so fast. It feels like I haven’t even trained. Also, am I late?”
Chamber chuckled, his polite laughter echoing through the hall just as much as the clicks of his dress shoes did.
You couldn't tell whether or not he was mad. But from the looks of things, he seemed... unamused.
“Late enough for Brimstone to send me to get you. Was your phone off, by any chance?”
Uh oh.Your face turned red. And immediately, you began fiddling with your bracelet.
Crap, he mentioned your phone; did they send you a bunch of messages that you didn't see?!
“Oh, sorry. I– I left my phone back in my room…” You awkwardly smiled, feeling a bit more embarrassed. “I’m making a terrible first impression on you, huh? Sorry about that…”
“No need for an apology, A/N. I completely understand. It must be exciting, non? Your first mission with a team.”
Chamber noted with a smile as he fixed his tie.
“Ah, to be young, innocent, and on my first mission again.”
You couldn't help but smile.
His voice was calm. Just the stagnant tone of it could put you to sleep if he just spoke long enough.
With everything else, there's no way he wasn’t one of the higher-ups, right?
“So you’re Chamber, right? I heard you’re an expert. Does that mean they’ll bring you on the other side?”
He shrugged and put both hands behind his back as he walked.
“That is a contingency I cannot predict. Personally, I would hope otherwise.”
“Why not? Fighting yourself sounds like fun. Speaking of, now I’m curious about how you are on the field.”
“I admire your optimism. That being said, if I were you, A/N, I would stay far, far away from my double.”
You paused to process what he said.
What did he mean by that? But just as you formed an answer to that question, Chamber stopped in his tracks, and only now did you notice that you had finally arrived at your destination.
You stopped as well once you made your way through the doorway. It felt like the voices of your colleagues were drowned out during the conversation, for some reason.
“Ah, here we are. Now, as I was saying, keep that attitude up, and I guarantee nothing less than an excellent performance from you.”
He said with the same smile he had the entire conversation.
“Best of luck to you.”
And with that, Chamber took his leave and left you with your thoughts like nothing happened.
“Thanks…”
You mumbled, before quickly looking around in order to distract yourself from what he just said. Luckily for you, however, you spotted Omen in the far right corner of the area, both his arms crossed as he listened to Sage ramble on about something.
Quickly, you made your way towards them.
❤ฺ·。
The place you've arrived at looked vastly different from the pictures you'd seen beforehand. But, to be fair, you looked at it for a picosecond before leaving for more, ahem, 'important' matters.
Once the aircraft landed, you stepped out with the rest and prepared yourself for the sand that might enter your eyes, recalling which site you were supposed to be in.
But before any of you could actually move to where you needed to be, you immediately found Brimstone standing in front of all of you.
"Alright, let's get one thing out of the way. How many of you read the brief?"
You proudly lifted your hand.
"I did!"
"Me too."
Yoru chimed in, and the both of you earned a nod before he turned to look at Omen and...
"Phoenix, buddy, you're coming with me."
The Englishman’s eyes widened.
"Woah woah, why me? Why would you assume I haven't read it?"
"Have you?"
Brim asked with a raise of his brow, and Phoenix quickly let out an awkward chuckle whilst he scratched his head.
Omen, unlike the two of you, minded his own business and proceeded to walk to his designated site.
"Well, I didn't read read it, but I skimmed over it. Still counts, right?"
Brim walked off to A site right behind Omen, and Phoenix promptly followed behind.
"That's still more progress than last time! Wait, Brim, just hear me out, fam! How come Raze never gets in trouble for it?"
You giggled to yourself before moving to your site: B.
While you walked, you extended your arm and took in the sight all over again.
Seeing the roots so organised felt like such a breath of fresh air. Not only that, but being able to feel it without it mimicking the sensation of being trapped in a deep maze of a forest.
A shade of deep blue caught your eye, and you lifted your chin to see Yoru standing next to the doorway with his Sheriff in hand.
You hadn't noticed him walking off during the feud between Brim and Phoenix.
"Testing out a new look?"
You playfully rolled your eyes.
"Mind you, this is your fault."
"Tch. Then no wonder it looks good."
There he was, the confident Yoru you knew and probably loved.
"You're too confident for someone who got all red over a hug."
Yoru chuckled.
Just as you took another step forward, he spoke up once more.
"You okay?"
"Uh, yeah, of course I am. Why?"
"Just asking..."
This time, his tone was much more... you couldn't really put your finger on it.
Despondent?
You noticed his awkward stance. His shoulders were tense, and his eyes had this odd glimmer in them.
...
Oh.
"Are you talking about the last mission?"
"I didn't say anything."
"I'm serious, Yoru. If I can't be ready now, then I'll never be."
He shrugged and walked through the doorway to which you promptly followed from behind.
"I know."
His path was curt once he felt a tug at his sleeve, and he looked behind to see you gently holding his wrist.
"Hey, dinner after?"
Yoru stared at you for a few seconds and fought the blush that crept up on him. Then, he shook his head.
"Save it for next week. I need to rejuvenate."
"Rejuvenate?"
"Introvert thing."
A set of familiar beeping echoed from window. And it wasn't only a few seconds later until an explosion took its place, grabbing both of your attention.
Definitely Raze. Even you knew that.
"That's our queue. See you around."
Before another word could be exchanged, Yoru tore the fabric open and disappeared into the ocean of blue he called a dimension.
But you couldn't help but let your thoughts roam as you moved near the radianite crates stacked on top of each other.
Having been around Yoru enough to make him come out of his shell, you knew when he was uncomfortable or not. And he sounded like he held something back.
Did you do something wrong? Was it the date earlier? Did you push things too far?!
You mumbled an 'ow' once you picked at your bracelet too hard, a ting of pain following the scratch.
In order to distract yourself, the radio was muted and you hesitantly called out your situation.
'Uh– Raze on B.'
Enough anxiety, you had a mission to get to. Evident by the rapid footsteps that came from long. You immediately took position and held out your arm, lightly twisting each root until you found the right one to slow down their push.
Since they were now untangled and you were calm, it was exceptionally easy to navigate the maze that used to be your arm.
Not the scent, not the hand…
You paused once you felt a peculiar one.
The bomb.
Just as you heard the footsteps switch from a sandy ground to a wooden one, a burst of sundew escaped your arm and immediately landed where they would have stepped if they didn't push themselves back.
The roots stuck themselves on the ground and prevented them from entering.
Perfect.
You held up your gun and diligently watched the angle in case they'd start to get bold.
'Any updates?'
Brimstone asked over the radio. You were so focused that you'd completely tuned everything out, so you jumped once he spoke.
Yoru unmuted.
'They're not committing. Probably a distraction.'
You were surprised at this.
Despite the ruckus, he seemed confident in this assumption.
'Good call. Then we're staying here. Think you can hold your own out there, kid?'
'Yeah. We just need smokes.'
The blast echoed on Yoru's side made you wince. Luckily for you, he muted and spared you the inevitable ringing in your ears.
And it only took a few seconds before a purple mist emerged right where you were aiming, shielding you from the bullets that would promptly be fired.
Combined with Yoru's call, you could now tell they were shooting at random.
Some time had passed since that ‘attack’.
Despite what you thought was a hard push earlier, Yoru was ultimately right in the end and they'd aggressively pushed out on A, forcing Yoru to rotate. You, however, decided to go from behind.
The distant gunfire took over your ears and unintentionally helped shield your footsteps as you moved.
Then, it stopped and a heavy thud followed.
"Yo, I got the spike!"
Phoenix proudly called out over the radio. But before you could hear who responded to him, you immediately tuned it all out and focused in on the steps right around the corner.
You were in bath, and there was clearly someone who wasn't paying attention to you. In the words of Neon, 'easy pick'. Or whatever she used to say.
Then, the sound of the teleporter went off and concealed you even further.
Just as he took his final shot and stepped back to reload, you held out your arm and began twisting a specific set of roots to emit a strong scent.
You knew you'd started to do something right once he began to cough into his elbow. And with a deep breath, you mentally prepared yourself to get your first kill.
You peeked and began shooting, refusing to let your finger off the trigger until the Bulldog ran out of bullets.
And... you did it.
Gekko's dead.
A huff escaped you once you took a step back, reloading with incredibly shaky hands. Your eyes were stuck on the omamori as you worked.
You got your first kill.
The teleporter going off twice snapped you out of your trance, before the voice of Yoru took over your ear on the radio.
"Who's in bath?"
"It was me, I got the pick on Gekko."
You said with a shaky yet excited voice.
Now you started to understand why Neon spoke like that sometimes.
"Finally got a kill? Nice one."
You couldn't help but smile at this.
"Chamber's stuck in hall with the spike. It's only us here. If we can draw him out, one of us can get an easy kill."
You peeked to see the spike sitting right in front of the teleporter. And if you looked closely, you could see a golden glint reflected off of him. Probably the tattoos on his head.
Yoru was backsite.
With all of this in mind, a plan immediately popped up.
"Stay there, I'll lure him out."
"Got it."
You stood near the doorway and already knew which root to aim for before you even lifted your arm.
A shadow slowly emerged from above and blocked the glimmer.
Then, the air stopped.
Just as the building he was in buckled under its own weight, Chamber peeked, shot then disappeared into the teleporter with the spike.
It took you a moment to look down on your hand and realise that there was a hole on your palm, blood slowly pooling around the wound and escaping.
❤ฺ·。
Everything felt like a blur at that point.
Noises were drowned out, your mind drew blanks and your eyes were focused on only your hand.
Warmth slowly began to encircle your right shoulder. And like a virus, it began spreading in a line across the inside of your arm, red fluid continuously seeping out of the 'small' wound on your palm.
It took what felt like a few minutes to comprehend the fact that he hit his shot almost perfectly. So perfectly, it went through your arm and tore your roots apart.
Then, you realised that the odd deafening noise around you had been reduced to a mere rumble. But once you looked up, the explanation was immediately provided.
The exit was blocked by what seemed to be the building you ripped apart before he took his shot.
You couldn't move your right arm whatsoever.
You felt a pull on your chin. And before you knew it, you were looking right at a familiar set of brown eyes.
"Hey, hey, look at me, are you okay?"
How did he get here... so fast?
"Y– yeah, I'm good, I..."
The centre of your right shoulder felt so heavy now, as if the bullet inside now began increasing in weight.
You still haven't been able to comprehend the fact you were shot. Yoru, however, wasn't in a state of shock like you were.
"We need to get you to Sage."
"We have to run to B."
You both said at the same time, and you earned a dirty look from him.
"Yoru, It's fine. It doesn't hurt."
"You're bleeding."
"It's not important! Look, let's take care of the spike first, then we can get to my arm. The teleporter's just outside!"
"We're not going–"
"I'll be good, it's not like it hurts, anyway!"
Before he could get another word in, you immediately moved through the entrance from behind and walked as fast as you could towards the teleporter. Yoru followed from behind despite his ability to disappear into the rift.
You weren't lying when you said it didn't hurt. But that, unfortunately, was before the adrenaline had worn off. And you hadn't realised such a fact.
Now that a moment had passed, with each step you took, it felt like you were exerting more and more energy just to get to your destination.
You stopped just a few feet next to the would-be teleporter to catch your breath. What you hadn't noticed was that it was blocked by so much rubble, it was impossible to get through even if you wanted to.
You lifted a hand towards the wreckage and began sifting through the remains of roots you had to clear an entrance.
But no matter how much you tried, you couldn't locate any points for what you needed.
It was as if the roots Chamber sliced stripped you away of your powers completely.
Yoru held your chin and noticed the tinge of blue that painted your lips.
That wasn't to mention how deathly pale you were, even more than you naturally were.
"You're losing too much blood."
You weakly shoved his hand away.
"Don't do that..."
Yoru rolled his eyes. And since you forgot who you were dealing with, you were to pay the price.
He slipped a hand under your legs and one behind your back, exploiting your weakened state to easily lift you in his arms.
"Get– let me go!"
You tried to push him away whilst he moved back, to no avail.
And just moving your good arm left you exhausted. Combined with the sudden aching that overtook your right one, it felt like you were stabbing yourself from the inside over and over.So you rested your head on his shoulder and let him take you...
...
Where was he going again...?
"You, you wouldn't let anyone do this to you..."
"I wouldn't have used my abilities out in the open–"
He snapped back, before he caught himself and cleared his throat.
"I'm... sorry. You're right, I wouldn't."
Yoru sighed. Then, completely unprompted, he let out a whispered cuss under his breath.
"I should've taken the chance when I had it."
"Huh...?"
"Nevermind."
You felt the hot afternoon sun shine upon you once Yoru moved through the doorway, before he stopped out of nowhere.
You took it upon yourself to lift your heavy eyelids and look at what was in front of you.
The wreckage from A went through the teleporter, enough to block the entrance to the fight.
And it was as if Yoru knew what ran through your mind just by the way your foot twitched.
"We'll be fine."
You heard a bullet whizz by each of you from behind. Luckily, Yoru dodged it and immediately moved towards the rubble, allowing the walls to conceal you.
He set you on the sand and took out his weapon.
"I'll be back. Try to hold out until then, A/N."
You quickly grabbed his sleeve.
"Wait– don't, don't leave me here, let me help!"
"I can't let you get hurt twice."
"But Sage can bring me back, I can still–"
Yoru got on one knee and held your shoulders.
"I'm not letting you get hurt. Don't make me repeat myself."
You stared at him for a few seconds. Despite your blurry vision and all of the noise from the fight deafening you, you could see the look in his eyes.
His irises swam with vulnerability.
"You're not giving up, huh...?"
He stared at you and let the tense silence be your answer. But just as he went to stand up once more, you pulled him back and pressed your lips against his forehead.
"I'm so lucky to have you."
Yoru, stunned, simply blushed and weakly smiled.
"I... could say the same thing."
He caressed your cheek with his thumb, before finally standing up and digging his hand through the rift.
You closed your eyes in order to gather all of the energy that you could. And judging by the constant ringing in your ear combined with the repetitive beeping, it sounded like the spike had been planted.
You put your left hand on the nearby stack of crates, helping yourself up.
The omamori on your Bulldog caught your eye, its green colour shining brilliantly against the dullness that surrounded you. It almost worked in pulling you out of your dizzy state.
Your eyes locked on the rubble whilst you caught your breath.
There must be a way to get through this. But how? Your roots were sliced from within.
You held out your incredibly shaky arm towards the entrance and took a deep breath in an effort to calm down and outline exactly what remained.
Scent couldn't be produced and you couldn't squash anything either. That left you with…
You perked up once you noticed one single root that was still connected.
The bomb.
The bomb was still there!
It wasn't much, but you had to get creative with it.
You took a few steps back and leaned on the wall, aiming towards the rubble. Then, you shot.
A burst of sundew immediately stuck to it like ducklings to their mother. You then rushed to grab it with both hands, and, despite the ever increasing pain, you pulled on it as hard as you could.
The sundew refused to let go. In fact, it stuck to it even more, which pulled the rubble with it. And the more you struggled, the more it held on.
The next thing you knew, you were on the ground once you'd finally pulled out the massive brick the sundew was attached to.
This set off a domino effect.
You grabbed the Bulldog and rushed behind cover as the wreckage began to tumble over. Sand upon sand covered the air and the noise from this move split your ears for what felt like minutes.
Then... silence.
The dust had settled.
You weakly clutched your Bulldog and leaned on the wall whilst you walked to the now-clear entrance.
The fight could be seen through the open window. And so could the spike, surrounded by fire and being defused by Phoenix.
The rest were clearly holding off someone in garden alongside Yoru who was behind them.
He was only halfway through, and there were only a few seconds before the bomb would go off, judging by the black aura and the unnatural impact it had on the area around it.
Victory should be guaranteed...
But that was until you noticed Sova near the doorway who aimed his bow and arrow, ready to shoot a dart. One dart, stall them and that would give the bomb the time it needed to explode.
They didn't see him. It seems like he didn't see you, either.
Before he let go, you took aim and immediately began shooting, the bullets rapidly digging through him.
It took only one more for you to take his life.
The Englishman immediately met your gaze and said something with a wave of his hand, but his words fell on deaf ears since all you could hear was the pounding of your heart.
You huffed and stood up, taking a few steps back to lean against a nearby wall. The Bulldog fell out of your grip, and the omamori's gentle green colour was defiled with the trail of blood that continuously seeped out of you.
Then, it all went dark.
❤ฺ·。
You awoke from your deep slumber with not only a raging headache, but with an arm so sore it felt like it was only one wrong more away from melting off of your shoulder.
Almost completely driven by instinct, you immediately sat up and clutched your head, a gentle voice adjacent to you immediately reacting to such a move.
"Oh, A/N, try not to move too fast–!"
The pain set in just as Sage held your shoulders, and you mumbled an 'ow'.
It felt like the blood inside your body was swirling and sloshing inside you as it got used to the sudden movement.
"Ah, really...? I turned my back on you for one second..."
"Sorry... First mission, and stuff."
"Don't start with that, you did great! Two kills on your first mission is something to be proud about!"
You ran your fingers through your hair and began gently rubbing your head, the ringing in your ear slowly dissipating.
It took you a moment to comprehend what she said. But once she did, guilt quickly set in.
"Thanks... Yo, I wasn't too bothersome to revive, was I?"
"Revive? No, you didn't die, you didn't die at all! You've been out for two hours, you actually survived!"
You didn't believe her, despite the wide grin on her face.
Probably trying to save you the embarrassment of dying on your first mission.
"Totally..."
"I'm not joking!" she smiled tenderly and clasped both hands together, "Ah, I– I know this sounds hard to believe, but you truly did."
"Let me get this straight, you're saying Chamber tore all my roots and I survived?"
"Not just your roots, A/N; he tore a few of your arteries as well and you still made it! It was miraculous!"
She placed a finger on her chin once a new piece of information popped up.
"Now that I think about it, theoretically, you should have passed out thirty seconds afterwards. Hypotension is no joke."
You paused once you caught something from the corner of your eye.
On a nearby counter right next to the sink was your trusty little Bulldog, the familiar omamori still tied to it.
Unfortunately, it was soaked in blood. And you swore you could see that it was torn, as well.
Huh...
"Really...? Maybe my luck's really turning over this time."
"Possibly. On another note, if this happens again, I might have to put 'durable' in your files."
She winked playfully.
"Seriously? Wait, no, Brimstone might–"
You heard two knocks before the door behind you swung open, revealing two very familiar silhouettes.
Neon and Yoru solemnly stood near the doorway, a serious expression very unnatural for your Filipino friend to have.
But once she noticed that you were awake, her eyes glimmered with an abundance of joy.
"A/N!"
Uh oh.
Before you could prepare yourself, you were already pulled into a hug that put all the aching in your arm to shame.
She hugged you even tighter (and knocked the air out of you for good measure) before finally pulling away.
"A/N, you're alive!"
"I'll... leave you three to talk. Erm, Neon?"
"Huh?"
"Brimstone?"
"Wha– oh! Oh come on, she just woke up! Can't you tell him to give me a few minutes, at least?"
Sage sheepishly smiled, both hands behind her back.
"I'm sorry... This'll take just a few seconds, okay?"
With a loud groan, Neon decided to follow the healer with an immense amount of reluctance.
But you couldn't let her go without some reassurance.
"I'll catch you later, Neon!"
"I know you will!"
The door slammed shut and they disappeared.
You wanted to ask Yoru what that was all about; but you had a much better idea in mind.
"I– I wanted to–"
Just as Yoru looked back, he found himself pulled into another embrace.
This one, however, didn't cause him immense pain.
"Missed you."
You mumbled. And to say Yoru was speechless would be a vast understatement.
His mind drew blanks at such a sudden move, despite it not being the first time. And all he could really do in response was put one hand on your back.
"You... Um, you had me worried back there, you know?"
The words mindlessly escaped his mouth, but he didn't really do much to stop it.
"Really?"
"Yeah..."
He quickly cleared his throat before he continued.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm impressed you got Sova. I don't know how you got through the rubble."
You pulled away with an unamused expression.
"I– I thought you died back there."
"You need to expect more from me, dummy."
He blushed and rolled his eyes.
"I said don't take this the wrong way, 'dummy'."
You glanced at the omamori on the counter behind him, but promptly looked back so that he wouldn't catch on.
"So, uh, speaking of dying... Where do you get omamoris again? Shrines?"
"Yeah."
"Are you going there any time soon?"
You tried to be discreet about it, but somehow, he still caught on and looked back to see what your eyes kept darting to.
And he saw your weapon, the omamori you spoke of gently resting on top of it.
"Huh, it's torn?"
"Yeah."
A meek smile forced itself on your lips as he walked towards the Bulldog and picked it up.
Damp with your own coagulated blood, and torn open just as you thought.
"Sorry about that."
"What do you mean? It's a good thing."
Despite scrutinising it, Yoru didn't sound as bothered as you did. In fact, he sounded pleased.
"This means it did its job."
You perked up at this, but you caught yourself before you did anything impulsive.
"So... remember when you mentioned dinner?"
"Totally. You said no."
Yoru nervously cleared his throat.
"Yeah, I, um, I remember. And I don't want to miss my chance this time."
"Miss your chance?"
"I don't like it when people get all up in my business. But you know what?" He pulled you close by the waist. "Maybe it's not so bad when you do it."
You snickered.
"You're just saying that because I almost died."
A mischievous smile painted his previously callous features.
No matter how much he tried, flirting just wasn't Yoru's thing. That much you could tell.
But teasing definitely was.
"Fine, guess I'll ask Sage to join me for the date I had in mind."
The word 'date' immediately snatched your attention.
"Wait. Okay, fine, let's hear it. What's the idea?"
"Hanami's coming up and... I haven't celebrated with another person in a while. Wanna join me?"
Hanami?
That's right, it was the first of May; the trees must've bloomed already, and the celebration must've started.
You beamed at this and completely disregarded your sore arm.
"Is it just the two of us?"
"Tch, yeah. I have a good spot booked and everything. There's this one old lady that sells the best dango, I'm thinking of going to her again this year. If, um, again, you don't have to, but–"
You gently elbowed him with your good arm. Even then, he could barely feel the pain you intended him to feel.
"Don't say that, yes I am. We're going. Where's the spot?"
"Don't you need a minute to rest?"
You proudly gestured to yourself.
"I'm well rested. Don't I look like it?"
Yoru stared at you for a few seconds.
You looked dishevelled. It was natural for someone who danced with death mere hours ago, but the confidence you radiated made it look like it was just the wind after a pleasant jog up a hill.
He couldn't help but agree, and that was made obvious from the slight shimmer in his usually narrow eyes.
"If you say so."
You moved towards him.
"So, where's the spot?"
"Kitanomaru park–"
The words were lodged in his throat once you took his hand in yours, pulling him out of the patient room and into the hallways.
If you keep walking down this hallway, you'll eventually pass by someone who'll see you both like this.
But he worked to convince himself that he didn't really mind...
You met his gaze with a warm smile, before pulling him close to you.
"That sounds amazing."
Just the thought of spending the day with Yoru on that river sounded like some kind of paradise only few would achieve. Fortunately, you were one of the 'few', and you were about to enjoy it as much as possible.
You knew what that day would entail, and you were ready for it.
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